UNICEF Decries Malnutrition Among Children

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), says one out of every five Rivers children are malnourished and has stunted growth.
UNICEF Chief Field Officer, Rivers State, Wilbroad Ngambi, said this in a lecture titled, ‘Investment in Maternal and Child Nutrition -Key to Sustainable Development in Rivers State’ at a workshop for media executives in Port Harcourt.
Ngambi, who blamed the situation on malnutrition, stressed the need for the government to make special provision for nutrition in the state annual budget.
The UNICEF Chief Field Officer said that investment in child nutrition would not only improve the learning capacities of children, but the economy of the country, adding that this was in line with the position of the World Bank which said that improving child nutrition would boost the country’s GDP annually. He also stressed the need for nursing mothers to improve their breast feeding habit to their children, stressing that media executives must always challenge government to invest in child nutrition.
Meanwhile, head of media organisations at the forum has pledged to create more awareness on the importance of good nutrition.
A  cross section of editors who spoke at the event also pledged to promote behavioural change with the view to raising the consciousness of the people about nutrition.
They also commended UNICEF for creating awareness on the importance of nutrition in the state.
The forum was attended by various heads of media houses in the state including the chairman of NUJ, Omoni Ayotamuno, state Director, NOA, Oliver Wollugbom amongst others.