Malnutrition: Gombe records 12 deaths, admits 1, 732 in 3 months

Gombe State has recorded 12 deaths while 1, 732 other children have been admitted across the state for severe cases of malnutrition between January and March 2019 as against the 99 deaths and 13, 594 admitted children recorded in 2018.

Mr. Usman Baraya, Gombe State Nutrition Officer told newsmen in Gombe that between 2018 and the first quarter of 2019, out of a total of 15, 326 children that were admitted for acute malnutrition across the state, 12, 880 have been cured and discharged.

Baraya admitted that the efforts of UNICEF through its Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) program, the state has been able to record improvement that led to the cure of malnourished children across the state.

He, however, raises some concerns that with the prospect of withdrawal by UNICEF, the state could be thrown into serious cases of malnutrition and infant mortality if immediate attention is not given in that regard.

The recent discovery of some severely malnourished children in some parts of the State who are being threatened to death has given more cause to worry as this may worsen if UNICEF withdraws its RUTF program.

A visit to the Gidan Magani Centre of the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) site showed that the attention of Gombe State Government is urgently needed to address the situation after the Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) used to revive the acutely malnourished children had been not available for more than four months.

Mohammed H Bawa, the Nutrition officer of Gombe Local Government Area, said since January 25, 2019, when they had the last supply of the RUTF, the supply only resumed on Friday, July 19, 2019.It was gathered that the last supply may be the last following issues lack of counterpart funding from the State Government and the likely withdrawal of UNICEF from the RUTF program.     

 Mohammed H Bawa disclosed to newsmen, Civil Society Organizations and the International Society for Media in Public Health (MPH) that he took stock of five hundred cartoons of the RUTF on July 22, 2019, after its release.He said the stock may last for only two months in his center considering the high patronage into the center from within and especially outside Gombe, the State capital.

While at the site, it was observed that several mothers with their malnourished children were waiting to be attended to at the CMAM site.

Some of the women, who visited the clinic for only routine immunization, were referred to the CMAM center following the ignorance of the parents over the status of their severely malnourished children.

Seventeen months old Ahmadu Mohammed, who was brought in by his mother, Fatima Mohammed, weighed 5.2kg and 29.2 in length when they first came to the center in the morning from Kurba village, in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of the State.

According to Fatima, Ahmadu’s mother, she had been giving her child traditional treatment when she noticed the change in her child since April this year but had to come to Gombe after being informed of the center.

Another severely malnourished child, Fatima Babangida, nine months old, who was brought to the center by her mother, Fatsuma Babangida, expressed ignorance of the exclusive breastfeeding formula during her ante-natal days.

She said she had been feeding the baby with whatever they eat in the house for a very long time.

It was revealed that none release of counterpart funding for appropriated nutrition activities from the State Government coupled with the fact that UNICEF, a major financier of the RUTF may no longer be funding the program poses a serious health disaster in Gombe State.

Also worrisome is the fact that volunteers working in the centers who ensure the interface between parents at different communities have been missing from duties following the failure to permanent their offer of employment after working for over six months.

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