The the Chief Field Officer (Kaduna) of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Dr Zakari Adam says the Fund is committed to addressing the health challenges of children, especially malnutrition, in Nigeria to improve on their health status.
He gave the assurance at Akwanga, during the six-days capacity building for 32 participants on Community Infant and Young Child Feeding Counseling Package.
The training was sponsored by UNICEF, in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency in which participants were selected from the Agency.
He said that the training was aimed at equipping nutritional health personnel with skills for effective healthcare service delivery.
“As UNICEF, we are really committed from our Headquarters in New York to the field offices, regional office and Nigeria country office based in Abuja.
“Where we all commit to ensuring that adequate support is provided to the government of Nigeria through its various chains including local government levels to ensure that our children access good nutrition.
“It is not that we are necessarily lacking access to food, sometimes, it is just that we are not aware of how to combine or go about this food to ensure good nutrition of our children.
“You are aware that the core mandate of UNICEF is focusing on children, all issues relating to children are pertinent to UNICEF.
“We have intervened in various areas but most importantly worldwide, we develop knowledge about children especially nutritional needs of children,” he said.
Adam also said that UNICEF was committed to addressing the challenges facing women and children in Nigeria in order to improve on their health status.
“UNICEF is supporting this programme in terms of fund and technical aspect.
“We are supporting the government of Nigeria in all relevant areas that will help in growing and developing children,” Adam said.
Adam, who expressed happiness with the commitment of health workers in the area towards tackling the challenges among malnourished children, however urged them to sustain the tempo.
Adam restated the commitment of the organisation to continue to train and retain health workers and other volunteers of its programmes to improve on the health status of the children and Nigerians.
Mr Taru Murindi and Ms Chinwe Ezeife, UNICEF WASH and Nutritional specialists, among other experts, provided technical support during the training.
