2 months ago
15 ARTICLE AD
Stakeholders have called for increased domestic funding for nutrition, including access to Multiple Micronutrient Supplements.
They also demand the implementation of the National Multi-Sectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition, and the reinforcement of the Breast Milk Substitute marketing code in Nigeria.
They made the demand in a joint press statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja at the end of a one-day media roundtable on strengthening the implementation of the NMPFAN with a focus on increased nutrition funding and reinforcing the BMS marketing code in Nigeria.
The statement signed by Executive Secretary of the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, Sunday Okoronkwo and the Country Representative/Project Director at FHI 360 Alive & Thrive, Dr Victor Ogbodo, noted that malnutrition remains a pressing public health concern in Nigeria, significantly contributing to the country’s high rates of morbidity and mortality, particularly among children under-five, which requires urgent and coordinated efforts.
“According to the National Food and Consumption Micronutrient Survey 2021, the prevalence of stunting is 33.8 per cent and this is significantly higher among children with iron, vitamin A, zinc and vitamin B12 deficiencies—conditions that increase the risk of mortality, illness, and hindered cognitive and physical development. In addition, the survey also shows that 55 per cent of children aged six to 23 months consume unhealthy foods.
“The NMPFAN launched in 2021, is a comprehensive strategy aimed at tackling malnutrition in Nigeria through coordinated efforts across key sectors such as health, agriculture, education, social protection, water and sanitation, information and other key line Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Central to this plan is the improvement of Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition, enhanced food security, micronutrient control, and the integration of nutrition across all sectors.
“The plan also emphasises the need for strengthened governance, accountability, and multi-sector/multistakeholder coordination. Several barriers, however, continue to impede the effective implementation of this plan (including inadequate financing, fragmented inter-sectoral coordination, poor accountability) and undermine efforts at combating malnutrition,” they said.
They stated that with Nigeria’s next budget cycle on the horizon and the attendant low budgetary allocations to nutrition, the media roundtable offers a timely platform to emphasise the critical need for increased domestic funding for nutrition, including access to Multiple Micronutrient Supplements.
“According to CS-SUNN’s Trend Analysis of Nutrition Budget in Nigeria (2019-2022), only 0.47 per cent of the national health budget was allocated to nutrition in 2022, a figure that starkly contrasts with the recommendations from the World Bank for low and middle-income countries to allocate at least five per cent of their health budgets to nutrition interventions. Without sustainable funding, the NMPFAN goals will remain out of reach, leaving millions of Nigerians, especially children, vulnerable to malnutrition and its devastating impacts.
“In addition to financing, low adherence to national guidelines and codes of conduct such as the proliferation of BMS in the Nigerian market against the BMS marketing code with the current insufficient enforcement represents another critical challenge. According to the NDHS 2018, exclusive breastfeeding rates in Nigeria are still unacceptably low, at just 29 per cent. This contrasts with the World Health Organisation’s global target of at least 50 per cent by 2025.
“Exclusive Breastfeeding for the first six months of life and continued breastfeeding up until two years with adequate complementary feeding has been proven to improve child survival rates and nutrition outcomes, yet the aggressive promotion of formula continues to undermine the practice and benefits of exclusive breastfeeding,” they said.
They further stated that the BMS marketing code aims to protect breastfeeding by regulating the marketing of breast milk substitutes, which is vital to improving infant and young child feeding practices in the country.
“Nevertheless, despite its endorsement and enforcement roles assigned to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, its full implementation is hampered by weak compliance and enforcement mechanisms, coupled with aggressive marketing practices by manufacturers of BMS.
The CS-SUNN, in collaboration, FHI 360 Alive & Thrive and other nutrition partners in Nigeria convened this crucial media roundtable aimed at enhancing the implementation of the NMPFAN, emphasising the urgent need for increased nutrition funding and the reinforcement of the BMS marketing code in Nigeria. Our call to action focuses on the critical role that media, policymakers, development partners, the private sector, and civil society organisations play in ensuring improved nutrition outcomes in Nigeria,” they noted.
They called on the federal, state, and local governments to prioritise and increase budgetary allocations to nutrition, including dedicated domestic resources for the procurement and distribution of MMS, as adequate funding is the cornerstone for the effective implementation of nutrition interventions.
“As a shared responsibility, we call on all stakeholders to take immediate and decisive action towards improved nutrition policy implementation and the BMS marketing code enforcement. We must leverage the power of collaboration, public accountability, and sustained financial commitment to address the malnutrition crisis in Nigeria,” they added.
On her part, the Technical Advisor to the Chair of the National Council on Nutrition, Milliscent Nnwoka, said insufficient funding and weak inter-sectoral coordination have slowed the progress of reducing the proportion of malnourished individuals, raising the exclusive breastfeeding rate, and lower stunting among children under-five.
Nnwoka, however, said the will to tackle the challenges remains strong through the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“The government’s commitment to addressing this issue is reflected in several key initiatives, including the Nutrition 774 project, a far-reaching effort designed to raise awareness and promote nutrition activities at the grassroots level.
“This project aims to engage communities across all 774 local government areas, empowering them to take ownership of their nutritional well-being, in partnership with states and relevant ministries,” she said.
