The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has presented a consignment of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to the Gombe State Government to address acute severe malnutrition among children under the age of five.
The presentation was made by the Chief of Field Office (CFO), Bauchi UNICEF Field Office (BFO), Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, during the Taskforce on Primary Healthcare quarterly meeting, which took place at the Deputy Governor’s Office in Gombe, presided over by the Deputy Governor, Manassah Daniel Jatau, on Friday.
The meeting aimed to review the performance of the previous quarter and assess progress towards achieving its goals.
Dr. Rafique explained that the provision of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods is part of a partnership between UNICEF and the state, with the state contributing a counterpart fund of N175 million.
The CFO stressed, “Children are the future of the next generation,” emphasising the importance of addressing malnutrition to ensure a healthy and productive society.
A representative of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum commended Gombe State’s efforts in healthcare, noting the state’s recognition as the second-best in the northeast region for health initiatives. The forum expressed strong support for Gombe State’s health policies.
During the meeting, Deputy Governor Dr. Manassah Jatau acknowledged the Committee’s improvements but emphasised that there is still significant room for growth. He urged members to identify areas where the committee fell short and provide constructive feedback to improve performance, stressing, “The meeting was an opportunity to address areas of failure and discuss how we can enhance our efforts.”
The Deputy Governor commended the Committee members for their prompt attendance at meetings, highlighting this as a testament to their commitment to fulfilling the mandate.
He stressed, “Health is the driver of other sectors in society. When health is compromised, everything else fails.”
The Deputy Governor also announced the government’s intention to introduce a policy aimed at improving cleanliness, not only in offices but also in homes and bedrooms, to promote a cleaner and healthier environment.
Additionally, Manassah Jatau received cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic foods from Dr. Rafique, the Chief of the UNICEF Field Office, Bauchi. These packages, part of a collaborative effort between the Gombe State Government and UNICEF, will be used to combat malnutrition among children in the state.
Manassah Jatau assured that the resources would be used judiciously to reduce child malnutrition.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, and the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Shuaibu, also spoke at the meeting.
Both emphasised that the purpose of the gathering was to review the committee’s progress and assess the implementation of policies and decisions made in the previous quarter.
They also discussed the development of a work plan to ensure better results through integration and proper synergies in health care activities, with the aim of addressing future challenges in 2025.
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Barrister Haruna, Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Gombe State, praised the political will of the state government to provide quality healthcare. He expressed confidence that local government chairmen would improve their attendance at meetings to address issues affecting the state’s performance at the national level.
Presentations were also made by key officials, including Mr. Abdulkadir Mohammed Aliyu, Project Manager of SERICC; Mr. Felix Habila Gambo, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency; and the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, who provided updates on the OBR, PHC, and key performance indicators.
The meeting concluded with a call for continued collaboration and innovation to enhance the quality of healthcare in Gombe State.