Katsina State Launches Nutrition Centres to Combat Malnutrition

On Sunday, Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda unveiled two nutrition centres aimed at addressing severe acute malnutrition. The initiative includes 60 outpatient therapeutic program sites distributed across 12 local government areas, including Daura, Funtua, Danja, Malumfashi, and Ingawa.

The program seeks to improve access to treatment for children suffering from malnutrition. Governor Radda highlighted the importance of early detection and community-level care, stating that the centres will provide free treatment.

He warned against the diversion of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), indicating that anyone caught selling or diverting these supplies will face immediate legal action, with cases handled by mobile courts. The state has approved a counterpart fund of 700 million Naira to accelerate nutrition results in Nigeria.

Additionally, the chairperson of the state nutrition committee, Ruqayya Hamza, noted that 600 community volunteers and 300 health workers have been trained to support the program, which aims to reduce the need for residents to seek medical care in neighboring Niger Republic.