By Lizzy Carr
The Bauchi State Ministry of health has reviewed four National nutrition documents that include, Maternal infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN) and strategy, national guideline for Baby friendly initiative (BFI) and the national micronutrients deficiency and control guideline, that will help the State has a policy direction on issues around MIYCN.
Executive chairman Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency Dr Rilwanu Mohammed on thursday in Azare at a four day workshop on the review, adapting and dissemination of the documents the domestication of these documents is to make it Bauchi specific.
Rilwanu who was represented by the Director Disease Control and Immunisation Dahiru Ibrahim, said the state has received technical support from Nutrition partners in promoting maternal infant and young child nutrition.
“Alive& Thrive- FHI360 has supported us in developing data and growth monitoring tools that are used in the PHCs.”
He said MIYCN the state, communities and families need to work together toward promoting good maternal nutrition from pre conception, pregnancy and the first six months of exclusive breastfeeding to reduce malnutrition among children under 5 and prevent pregnancy related complications.
“We are working to that that we improve the rate of exclusive breastfeeding and early initiation of breastfeeding in the first one hour of life to reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity.”
The workshop had as objectives to review, adapt, learn, vet and endorse scopes of practice, job aids and health counseling materials for health care workers from the nationally developed MIYCN documents.
“We want to appreciate Alive&Thrive-FHI360, USAID IHP and other nutrition partners for supporting the state to come up with these documents.”
The chairman said the documents will be put into proper use.
