United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with Adamawa government, has engaged no fewer than 6,525 care givers to promote nutrition across 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
Mr Wulunga Alfred, Nutrition Officer, Adamawa Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ADPHCDA), disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola on Sunday.
He said that the caregivers provide services on how to use Mit Arm Upper Circumference (MUAC) tape, for measuring risk level of children on malnutrition.
Alfred added that the tape was calibrated in colours, green for negative, yellow warning, while red was for danger.
The Nutrition Officer said that the effort had contributed in reducing the rate of malnourished children in the state.
Alfred, however, encouraged mothers to understand the effects of poor diets on their children to prevent them from malnutrition.
Moreso, he stressed that poor diets affect the immunity of children, thus exposing them to many diseases, especially malnutrition.
“When a child is growing, essential nutrients are vital in the body for him to be healthy and grow up successfully to optimal stage.
“Above all, parents should ensure they attend Antenatal Clinics for guidance and other services that will help both mother and the child,” he explained.
He advised mothers on exclusive breastfeeding after delivery, urging them to provide supplementary feeding when the child reaches six months.
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According to him, apart from the Caregivers, about 1,800 Community Health Influencers Promoters (CHIPs), were trained and deployed to provide various services.
“They go house to house to counsel mothers and refer complicated issues to hospitals.
“By so doing, we are reducing the cases of malnutrition among other cases affecting women and children in the state,” he said (NAN)
