UNICEF Delivers Nutritional Support to Bauchi State

UNICEF has presented 4,562 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and 15,419 cartons of Small Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS) to the Bauchi State Government as part of efforts to address severe acute malnutrition among children aged six to fifty-nine months. The handover ceremony took place at the Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme (BSADP) on a Saturday.

Governor Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed emphasized the administration's commitment to strengthening primary healthcare services, with a focus on maternal and child health. The Bauchi State Government contributed N300 million to the Child Nutrition Fund, which UNICEF will match, bringing the total resources available for nutritional interventions to N600 million.

Dr. Nuzhat Rafiqu, Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, expressed concern over the high malnutrition rates in Bauchi, where 61% of children aged six to twenty-three months are undernourished. She highlighted the urgent need for sustained interventions to improve nutrition at the household level.