By Elizabeth Carr
Bauchi state has recorded 8,510 new cases of under-five children that are suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) from January to August 2020 in its 21 Centers for Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM).
The statistic, gathered based on investigation conducted by our reporter, adding that reasonable number are yet to be reported in communities, is came from the 21 Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition, CMAM, sites spread across nine local government areas.
The lives of these children have constantly been threaten by lack of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), an essential commodity for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition. In fact, investigation indicates that the Bauchi had recorded two stock outs in 2020. It could be recalled that the state in 2020, recorded two stocks out that interfered with the treatment process.
At the beginning of the September 2020, a check to the Primary Healthcare Centre, Kirfi local government, revealed the non availability of the Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for many weeks, a situation that reversed the treatment of clients.
Speaking to some mothers, Mrs Hajara Musa, mother of two-year old, who looked stunted and underweight said it was the first time she went to the facility.
“I came with high expectations hoping to get remedy for my sick child but am told there is no RUTF in the site, after trekking 3 kilo meters to this place am going back home empty handed, just look at my daughter”.
Mrs Fatima Idi, mother of twins, expressed dismay over the sad incident of out-of-stock RUTF. “My twin boys had received RUTF for 3 weeks before the stock out and now their condition is getting worse I don’t know what to do please government should help us”.
Investigation however showed that government, with the support of UNICEF, procured 2,500 cartons of Ready-to-use Therapeutic food, which has been at the store awaiting to be collected by various local government councils who had not been forthcoming.
Further findings indicate that Gamawa local government area, which is the farthest from the state capital (259.2kms), need the sum of N20,000 only to convey the commodity, but it took three weeks for them to get the money.
The Nutrition Focal person of the local government, Mohammad Babangida said the delay has led to mortality among children with severe acute malnutrition.
Similarly, the officer-in-charge of CMAM site at Darazo local government, Almustapha Yakubu said the primary healthcare centre management had to use funds from the facility to convey their share of the RUTF. During this period, the state recorded 21 mortality, 4,384 recoveries and 241 defaulted.
The Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, BSPHDA, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed said that the agency has earlier agreed that local governments council will provide logistics for transporting the commodity as strategy to ensure ownership.
The State Primary Development Agency, according to reports, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with 20 local government councils where they are expected to contribute towards the transportation of these commodity.
“You know there are no local government chairmen as of now. So, the Head of Administration did not fully understand the importance of RUTF and they are constrained on some certain things,” she said.
He said RUTF has been in the Agency’s store for three weeks, since end of August and it was on September 16th that Gamawa CMAM center came in for the commodity.
The CMAM activities is challenged with delay in the release of budget for nutrition, logistics and inadequate human resources for health.
As the trade of blades continue between these two authorities the lives of thousands of children with severe acute malnutrition hangs on the balance as out of the N400,000,000 allocated for nutrition in the 2020 revised state budget only N20,000,000 was released for the purchase of RUTF.
It is expected according to the guidelines for the treatment of the Sam, each clients would use one carton as a complete dose over a period of eight weeks.
