The Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ADSPHDA)has begun a three-day refresher training for 300 health workers on community management of acute malnutrition.

Wulanga Alfred, the nutrition officer who addressed the participants in Yola on Thursday, said the training was organised in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

Mr Alfred said the participants would be exposed to the management of acute malnutrition cases, infant and young child feeding, exclusive breastfeeding for six months without water, and building their capacity for service delivery.

According to him, the agency has established 136 outpatient therapeutic malnutrition treatment centres across the 21 existing council areas of the state, saying we are ahead of many states in terms of the number of treatment centres.

The official announced that from January to July, 22,409 children had received treatments against severe acute malnutrition cases, adding that those treated were children from six to 59 months old.

“Out of the total number of the treated children, 18,351 were completely cured while 82 died, 488 defaulted and 37 non-recovered,” added Mr Alfred.

Hauwa Musa, the director of the Community Health Services, identified some of the causes of malnutrition as the failure of mothers to strictly adhere to the six months of exclusive breastfeeding from 0 to six months.

According to her, the level of compliance on exclusive breastfeeding has been 29.9 per cent only, as indicated within this year, while attributing the successes recorded in the treatment of the disease to the regular support of the state government.

She lauded the commitment and dedication of the frontline health workers who traversed various nooks and crannies of the state to deliver health services.

Tushar Rane, the UNICEF official, commended the state’s primary health care development agency for the timely commencement of the training.

(NAN)