UNICEF handover 12,500 Cartoons of RUTF to Jigawa govt, Laud gov Namadi

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

The team of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday handed over 12,500 cartoon of Ready to Use Theurapy Food (RUTF) to Jigawa state government for distribution across the CMAM centres in the state.

Speaking, when the team paid a courtesy visit to the governor at government house Dutse, the UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative Ms. Cristian Munduate commended the governor for his commitment towards improving the life of children.

“It is an honor to be here today standing on a very significant occasion like this, because it reflects the strong commitment of governor Malam Umar Namadi of Jigawa towards children, it is not just a commitment towards health, but also the commitment towards the life of Jigawa people.

“The efforts you are making here today, saving lives of hundreds of children and saving the lives of thousands of women in the state. As UNICEF is here to witness this remarkable development, I would like to first congratulate you for upgrading the thirty number of primary health care facilities.

“This is not an easy task, Jigawa is really setting the examples as I formerly said, This is what all the states need to do at LGA level and ward level”, stated

I’m also delighted to present to you the Ready to Use Supplement that helps children who suffer severe acute malnutrition which will reach 14,000 severe acute malnutrition.

The country representative maintained that, The whole idea is to prevent and reduce number of malnourished children, through these 12,500 cartoons that we are bringing here today and other nutrition commodities that are for pregnant women and newborn children.

While making his remarks, the state governor Malam Umar Namadi welcome the UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms Cristian Munduate and her entourage to this historic foundation laying ceremony for the revitalization of thirty (30) Primary Healthcare Facilities across each of the 30 State Constituencies in the State.

He said, the event is in line with our commitment to uplift the socioeconomic wellbeing of Jigawa people which is the overarching objective of his 12-Point Agenda.

“As we all know, access to quality health services has a direct and significant impact on human capital development with huge return on investment,Today, we hope to record an important milestone in operationalizing the revitalization of primary healthcare in Jigawa State.

“Even as we have attained the State’s vision of at least one functional Basic Health Clinic for each of the 287 Political Wards in the State, much needs to be done to strengthen the State’s primary healthcare program including the reinforcement of Routine Immunization and Child Nutrition.

With the impending launch of the State’s Community Health Insurance, this will help improved access to qualitative, effective and efficient healthcare services and ensure that beneficiaries are getting all the services for which they were enrolled”, he said .

The governor assured that, this initiative by the Jigawa State Government would be complementing a similar Federal Government Intervention under President Bola Ahmed Tunibu’s Health Agenda which would seek to provide one functional PHC across all the political wards in the Country.

“Today, we are laying the foundation of the revitalization of 30 PHCs in our rural communities. This is a bundled optimization project that includes Fencing the PHC facilities, provision of solar powered water schemes, Solar electricity as well as the construction staff quarters to provide befitting accommodation for all the frontline health workforce in the facilities.

“The aim is to strengthen the facilities by creating the necessary enabling environment that would enable them to provide 24-hour services closest to the people no matter how remotely located. To speed up coverage across all the 287 Wards in the State, we have also requested the Local Government Councils to collaborate with the State Government in upgrading additional 30 facilities within their domains” gov Namadi stated.