Gov’s Wife Drives Campaign On Infant, Maternal Nutrition

The wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike has called for state-wide sensitisation and enlightenment campaign on infant and maternal nutrition to enhance the good health of the youth.
Justice Nyesom-Wike said this at a one-day policy dialogue on investment in maternal nutrition, infant and young child feeding-critical bridges for sustainable development, organised by the Rivers State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in Port Harcourt.
She said that parents, who were critical stakeholders, especially those in the rural area, must be properly educated on the nutritional requirements of their children.
The governor’s wife called for the involvement of parents in the school feeding programme, maintaining that early child marriages should be discouraged.
Justice Nyesom-Wike also called on parents to plan the size of their families while leveraging free maternal and ante-natal consultations at all levels in the state.
Meanwhile, Rivers State has improved its standing in the nutritional assessment of the country.
This is according to the figure released by the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) made available during the programme.
The NDHS had in 2013 placed Rivers State at 22.3 per cent, but current statistics put the state at 10.9 per cent.
The State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Hon Isaac Kamalu, regretted that the stunting rate in the state was still higher than globally accepted level.
Kamalu said that the state government has been doing so much through the ministries of health, agriculture and women affairs to address health challenges and nutrition-related issues.
He said that while the government plays its own role, the private sector and development partners should also contribute to the efforts aimed at improving the nutrition status of the state.
Also speaking, UNICEF Chief of Rivers Field Office, Mr Wilbroad Ngumbi, said that the meeting was to galvanise the support of both members of the State Executive Council and the Legislature to develop specific action plan to improve maternal and child nutrition in Rivers State.

Lady Godknows Ogbulu & John Bibor