3.6m Malnourished Children Treated In Kano

Malnourished children

No fewer than 3.6 million malnourished children have been treated in Kano State under the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) programme of UNICEF started in the state in 2010.

The Nutrition Officer, Kano State Ministry of Health, Hajiya Halima Musa revealed this during a field trip to Sharada Primary Health Center, Kano. She said that 30 centers for the treatment of malnutrition have been opened in six selected local governments of the state.

Musa further revealed that 103,376 malnourished children were treated at the centers in 2015. She said that 5,744 patients were admitted, with nine deaths recorded during the period. She added that 1,617 patients had recovered, while some 272 of those discharged defaulted in their treatment schedules.

According to her, each center attends to an average of between 80 and 100 patients daily. She explained that Ready to Use Therapy Food (RTUF) was given to malnourished children free of charge.

She called for the expansion of the treatment centres to at least 22 local government areas across the state, for effective management of the condition. She also urged the relevant stakeholders to provide enough manpower for effective service delivery.