Lagos launches training programme to combat child malnutrition

• The training, which began on July 7 and will conclude on July 17, 2024, is being held at the Dover Hotel in Ikeja
  

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The Lagos State Government has initiated a comprehensive training programme to address child malnutrition by equipping health workers with vital nutrition skills.

Spearheaded by the Lagos State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and supported by the World Bank, the programme focuses on Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN). The training, which began on July 7 and will conclude on July 17, 2024, is being held at the Dover Hotel in Ikeja.

The initiative aims to train 60 master trainers who will, in turn, educate health workers at primary and secondary health facilities throughout Lagos State.

Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, underscored the importance of early childhood nutrition, citing alarming statistics from the Lagos State Reproductive and Child Health Survey. The survey indicates that over one-third of children under five in Lagos suffer from stunted growth due to inadequate nutrition, highlighting the urgency of intervention within the first 1,000 days of life.

“Nutrition is a fundamental human right,” Ogboye stated, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to improve nutrition indices, particularly in light of the population influx into Lagos State. He explained that the training programme aims to enhance health workers’ capacity to provide accurate and effective MIYCN services, empowering households, mothers, and caregivers with the knowledge to implement optimal nutrition practices.

Ogboye expressed gratitude for the support from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and highlighted Lagos State’s commitment, including a substantial budget allocation for nutrition in 2024 and the approval of UNICEF counterpart funding for nutrition commodities.

“The current nutrition indices in Lagos State call for stakeholders’ collaboration. This training will change the narrative of our nutrition indices in Lagos State,” he concluded.