Bauchi contributes 54,000 cases of malnourished children – UNICEF Chief of field

• Says Lack of Vaccination Makes Malnourished Children More Vulnerable In Bauchi
• Urges Bauchi Council Chairmen To Step Up Vaccinations Of Children To Curb Rising Malnutrition

From Paul Orude Bauchi

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says Bauchi State contributes an alarming 54, 000 cases of malnourished children to the nation’s burden.

This revelation was made by the UNICEF Chief of Field Office (CFO), Bauchi, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, on Thursday in Jos.

Rafique spoke in a goodwill message during the opening of a two-day advocacy and sensitisation meeting with all the 20 Local Government Chairmen in the state on leveraging on resources to support food security and nutrition in the state.

The meeting was organised by the Bauchi State Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning, and Multilateral Coordination with support from UNICEF.
The UN agency expressed concern over the overwhelming surge of malnutrition cases in the state, which puts many children at risk of death.

“I am here to give a goodwill message which is not very good,” Rafique, who overseas Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, and Taraba States, stated.
“I have worked with UNICEF in 11 countries already and Nigeria is my 12th country

“When I look at the situation of children, especially in Bauchi, I have been to all five states, I have seen the children at the LGA level, at unit level and then to the primary healthcare facilities, nutrition services and the data on the children are very worrying.

“In Bauchi alone we are contributing about 54,000 children who are malnourished.

The UNICEF CFO disclosed that every girl child in Bauchi State is severely malnourished out of 10
“Out of 10, three children are severely malnourished and about six are moderately malnourished and can go into severe malnourishment anytime,” she warned.

Rafique opined that it was a source of concern that despite data and efforts of resource persons explaining the severity of malnutrition in Bauchi State, the situation was not improving

“I see that 20 LGAs out of 20 have children with zero dose,” she lamented.
“Not only that there are abundance of children with poor nutrition, but they are not also reached by  the health system, they have never been given any vaccination so they can have some immunity to resist diseases, which makes malnourished children even vulnerable to very serious illnesses like polio.

“Even if the children do not have active polio now, the risk always stays there if they are not properly vaccinated.”
Rafique said she is fond of the leadership of Governor Bala Mohammed in the state, the dedication of the health Commissioner, the Chairmen of the Association of Local Government Chairmen in the state (ALGON), the Director of Primary Health Care among others.

However, she noted, when it comes to the communities, their culture and practices, the LGA Chairmen are the backbone of the state.

“You people (Chairmen) are the leaders in the LGAs that can make or break the LGAs,” she observed.
“If there is an LGA that does not have any zero dose child, I would say that that is the real leadership of the Chairman, of the Deputy Chairman and others who are part of their team, because they are reaching their people, they are caring for their people and working for their people.
“The evidence says there is no child unreached and these are few LGAs here doing that.
“I would request my team to share the names of the LGAs who have no zero dose child as an example of success and the rest of the LGAs can learn from them of how they achieved it”
She urged the LGA Chairmen, through their leadership should ensure that every LGA achieves the level of no child zero does, that every child is vaccinated.
Rafique appealed to the LGA Chairmen to ensure that every mother is well nourished so she can give birth to healthy, normal and nourished child
“This is something we are going to embarked upon in this meeting, realsing where we are and what is to achieve in 2025 and 2026,” she said
“We are with you, UNICEF is always with mothers and children and the stakeholders, leaders and the people who are the right holders for them supposed to give them this right of health, nutrition, survival and development
“I look forward to your leadership and will come and meet you at your LGAs as well to ensure that we are all working well at one team  under your leadership and then you take us to a point where I  can proudly ay there is no LGA in Bauchi which has a child unreached. We cannot leave any child behind”