UNICEF and the Katsina government are conducting a ‘Standardised Monitoring and Assessment of Relief Transitions Survey’, to have automatic data to curb the rising cases of malnutrition.

The SMART Survey estimates the prevalence of wasting, stunting, and underweight among children aged six to 59 months. It also provides a framework for collecting and analysing data on acute malnutrition, mortality rates, and other key indicators.

The UNICEF nutrition specialist, Niyi Oyedokun, stated this at a 2025 SMART planning meeting with stakeholders on Tuesday in Katsina. He stated that UNICEF was contributing over $100 million to the nutrition project, and the state government was also providing a matching grant.

“UNICEF is funding from the support we got from the United States Agency for International Development,” he said.

The executive secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Shamsudeen Yahaya, said that the state government would contribute about N500 million for malnutrition control in the state.

According to him, the amount would be used to purchase Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food and distribute it to malnourished children, as well as for other services related to disease management.

He said that the survey would enable the government to determine the magnitude and distribution of malnutrition across the 34 local government areas of the state. Mr Yahaya said that they had received reports that some unpatriotic healthcare workers and mothers were trading the RUTF instead of using the high-energy giving food supplement to treat malnourished children.

He, therefore, warned such workers and caregivers to either desist from that habit or face the wrath of the law. The executive secretary revealed that the government would engage security personnel to fight against the diversion of the supplements.

Additionally, Nura Shehu, a nutritionist, stated that malnutrition was a local issue that required a local solution to address it.

“All the food varieties are available in communities, but people lack proper knowledge on how to use them,” he said.

(NAN)