EU-funded initiative targets reduction of child malnutrition deaths in North-East
Story by Sa’adatu MAINA, Damaturu
A nutrition programme funded by the European Union Humanitarian Aid has contributed to a significant reduction in malnutrition-related child mortality across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states, officials said on Monday.
The assessment was made during a media dialogue in Damaturu, where journalists and health officials reviewed the initiative implemented by UNICEF in partnership with the three state governments.
A key driver of the impact has been the large-scale distribution of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) across health facilities.
Dr Babagana Kundi Machina, Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Primary Health Care Board, said the European Union grant strengthened nutrition coordination and ensured an uninterrupted supply of RUTF and therapeutic milk.
He listed core interventions to include: community-based screening using Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tapes, treatment of severe acute malnutrition across 306 outpatient centres and improved data systems and supply chain management.
Yobe State Nutritional Officer, Hadiza Maina Adamu, noted that sustained collaboration with development partners had improved recovery rates.
“The availability of RUTF has made treatment more feasible, accessible, and effective,” she said.
Before the dialogue, journalists visited the Gwange and Mairi Primary Health Care Centres, where they observed MUAC screening and appetite testing for children.
A tour of a medical warehouse also revealed over 3,264 cartons of therapeutic food stocked under a UNICEF Yobe State Government partnership.
Stakeholders said the joint effort among UNICEF, the European Union, and state governments has been essential to sustaining life-saving nutrition support in the humanitarian context of North-East Nigeria.
