The Adamawa Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ADPHCDA), in collaboration with UNICEF, says it will train 6,255 mothers on how to assess the nutritional status of their children.

Martins Ladu, the UNICEF Nutrition Officer, Bauchi State Office, disclosed this at the training of local government executive secretaries and their nutrition focal persons in Yola on Monday.

According to him, training of the officials will help toward a successful implementation of the programme, at the ward level, on how mothers and caregivers would use the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tape to detect malnourishment in children.

He added that the programme was funded by UKAid through UNICEF Nigeria and would be implemented by Adamawa ,PHCDA across 21 local government areas.

Tushar Rene, UNICEF Nigeria, Chief of Office, Bauchi, said the programme aims to empower women and caregivers, households, and communities in charge of their children’s health to know the nutrition status, early detection, and treatment of acute malnutrition.

“To ensure regular screening of children under five by caregivers and mothers. Alternative to Mass-MUAC screening and scale down screening activities by community nutrition mobilisers,” he said.

Mr Rene said this would help to identify malnourished cases for referrals to health facilities for treatment.

According to him, the cases are still being observed across communities, hence the need to encourage Mother MUAC screening for early detection and self-referral within communities.

Suleiman Bashir, the Executive Chairman of ADPHCDA, commended UNICEF and other development partners for their support towards saving the children.

According to him, about ten different partners are supporting Adamawa to address malnutrition in the state.

Mr Bashir said that the state government was also committed to ensuring the programme was fully implemented to save the children against malnutrition.

He, however, urged the participants to pay attention and be very active toward the success of the programme.