Eket—NUT-RITION and health stakeholders have expressed worry that malnutrition was on the increase in the country, evidenced in the poor nutritional and health indices of children and mothers.
Speaking at a 2-day capacitydevelopment workshop for state legislators on Universal Health Coverage, South-South zone in Akwa Ibom State, the Chief of United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Rivers Field Office, Mr Wilbroad Ngambi, disclosed that recently released Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey report showed an increase in child wasting from 24.2 percent to 31.5 per cent.
Ngambi said, “Similarly, stunting has increased from 34.8percent to 43.6percent. Unfortunately the Northern part of the country appears to be worse off.”
Malnourished children tend to have lower Intelligent Quotient and impaired cognitive ability with resultant negative effect on their performance in school and productivity later in life.
“However, investment in nutrition which is cost effective will help this trend as well as boost our GDP as a country. The World Bank in its 2017 report revealed that for every N1,000 invested on nutrition will yield a N16,000 return, showing that nutrition is for development of the nation and therefore, any resources invested in it is not a loss but a boost for the economy.”
The UNICEF nutrition expert who noted that the legislature has a very important role to play in appropriation, legislation, accountability, representation and oversight in improving maternal, child’s health and nutrition and urged South South legislatures to make adequate provision of funds for the item as they prepare the 2018 budget.
The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong, noted that the institution of the Legislative Network on UHC aimed at improving financing for health and making investment in health politically attractive was long overdue.
“I must admit that investments on nutrition have been minimal compared to the scale of the problem. Mobilizing the resources needed to accelerate progress against malnutrition and other health challenges will therefore, require that states, donors, businesses, local government, communities, Civil Societies must act in total solidarity against the emerging health emergencies,” Ukpong stressed.
While declaring the seminar open, Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr Onofiok Luke said his administration has passed into law Primary Healthcare Development Agency Bill and state Healthcare Insurance Bill towards the achievement of Universal Health Coverage.
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