From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
Jigawa State has made significant progress in the use of Vitamin A and Albendazole supplements for women and children, recording a 94% coverage rate in its latest round of intervention.
This was disclosed by the State Deputy Director of Nutrition Services, Alhaji Magaji Uba Ahmad, during a one-day Post Event Coverage Survey (PECS) dissemination meeting held at Tahir Guest Palace, Dutse.
According to Alhaji Magaji, the survey revealed a 69% coverage rate for the previous intervention, compared to the 90% target set by the state. He described this as a positive step, adding that there is still room for improvement to achieve even higher coverage.
He further noted that the second round of the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Week (MNCHW), which concluded in the first week of December, recorded a 94% coverage rate. “This is a remarkable effort by the state and its partners,” he stated.
The Deputy Director commended Nutrition International (NI) for its partnership and support in improving the health and nutritional well-being of women and children in Jigawa.
In his remarks, Nutrition International’s Country Director, Dr. Osita Okwonkwo, represented by the State Coordinator, Mr. Patrick Odeh, reaffirmed NI’s commitment to supporting Jigawa State.
He said, “Nutrition International remains a strong partner to Jigawa State and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the health and nutrition indicators of women and children are optimized.”
Dr. Osita also highlighted that the dissemination meeting brought together 45 participants, including senior state officials, local government representatives, civil society organizations, media practitioners, and other stakeholders.
During the meeting, participants made several recommendations, including increasing funding for nutrition programs, enhancing mass media awareness campaigns, and engaging traditional and religious leaders to further promote the use of supplements in the state.