The Oyo State Government, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United States Government, has commenced a nutrition intervention programme targeted at preventing malnutrition among pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children in 20 local government areas of the state.
The initiative, which focuses on the critical first 1,000 days of life, was unveiled during a stakeholders’ meeting held in Ibadan on Wednesday.
Speaking at the event, UNICEF Nutrition Manager in Nigeria, Sumit Karn, said the one-year programme is designed to improve child growth, brain development, and learning outcomes through nutrition-specific interventions.
According to him, the intervention will promote breastfeeding, vitamin supplementation, food fortification, and improved infant feeding practices at the community level.
Karn noted that the first 1,000 days, from conception to a child’s second birthday, remain the most critical period for preventing malnutrition and ensuring healthy development.
Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, said the state had made progress in reducing chronic malnutrition among children but expressed concern over the rise in severe acute malnutrition.
She disclosed that stunting among children declined from 34.7 per cent before 2023 to 23.4 per cent following intensified nutrition interventions, while severe acute malnutrition increased from 1.8 per cent to 14.4 per cent.
Ajetunmobi attributed the trend to poor infant and young child feeding practices at the household level, stressing the need for greater awareness on early and exclusive breastfeeding.
She said the state would begin the distribution of Small Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (SQLNS) to children between six months and two years, with the products procured through UNICEF using funds provided by the United States Government.
The commissioner added that ready-to-use therapeutic foods would also be provided for children already suffering from acute malnutrition, while multiple micronutrient supplements had been secured for pregnant women to prevent anaemia and other complications.
She warned against diversion of the nutrition products, stressing that the supplements were not for sale and should only be used for intended beneficiaries.
According to her, an anti-diversion committee comprising officials of NAFDAC, the National Orientation Agency, Amotekun Corps, the police, and the Ministry of Justice has been established to monitor distribution.
Executive Secretary of the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Muyideen Olatunji, described the grant as a recognition of the state’s efforts in healthcare delivery, expressing optimism that the programme would improve maternal and child health outcomes.
Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Oyo State, Sikiru Sanda, assured that local councils would ensure transparent distribution of the supplements across benefiting communities.
The programme, which continues on Thursday, is expected to strengthen nutrition indicators and reinforce efforts to tackle malnutrition at the grassroots level across the state.
