By Sani Idris
The Nutrition Department of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare with support from the World Bank-funded Accelerating Nutriton Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) Project, began a 10-day training of master-trainers on
Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutriton (MIYCN) in Kaduna.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that MIYCN refers to the nutrition of mothers, infants, adolescents, and young children, and the importance of adequate nutrition during the critical period of life.
Proper MIYCN is essential for the health, growth, and development of children, and can have a lasting impact on their future well-being.
The Project Coordinator of ANRiN in Kaduna, Dr Zainab Muhammad-Idris, said the training was organised by the FMoH to cover the 36 states and the FCT.
She added that the training in Kaduna state has in attendance key stakeholders that cut across different sectors which included health, education, agriculture, academia, civil society, professional associations, and development partners, among others.
She equally said the training aimed to produce master trainers that would be supporting ANRiN project in cascading the training down to the grassroots level.
Muhammad-Idris noted that the MIYCN training package is essentially for health care workers particularly those at facility and community level.
She however said the programme embedded program officers, coordinators, supervisors, managers and other stakeholders that are leading in ensuring that a well integrated health care delivery which focuses on nutriton is achieved.
She also noted that the stakeholders needed to have deeper understanding because alot of them are coordinators, supervisors of health care workers and they also manage the health care delivery services in the state.
She therefore said it was deemed necessary to bring them up as master trainers to enhance delivery of health services.
Also, Mrs Rashidat Popoola, the National Lead Facilitator, Training of Trainers on MIYCN, gave an overview of the MIYCN training package, highlighting its evolution since 2012 and the significant improvements made to the current training manual.
Popoola who doubles as the Osun State Nutriton Officer, emphasised that the revised manual now comprehensively includes maternal and adolescent components, acknowledging the critical importance of nutrition during these life stages.
Earlier, the Kaduna state Commissioner of Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, said malnutrition remains a critical challenge, particularly during the early years
of life.
She lamenented that over two thirds of malnutrition-related deaths which occur within the first year, is often linked to inappropriate feeding practices.
“This is a situation we cannot afford to overlook, many mothers and caregivers lack adequate knowledge of optimal feeding practices, while those who possess this knowledge may struggle to apply it consistently.
“This gap between knowledge and practice is a barrier we must address to ensure our children receive the nourishment they need for healthy growth and development,”she said.
Ahmed therefore said in response to the pressing need, the Kaduna State Government is deeply committed to addressing malnutrition and its underlying causes.
“We recognize that investing in nutrition is investing in our
future. To this end, we have implemented various programs and initiatives aimed at improving food
security, enhancing healthcare services, and promoting nutritional education across the state.
“Our goal is to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow up healthy, strong, and capable of reaching their full potential.To support our commitment, the Nutrition Department of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has taken commendable steps by revising the Infant and Young Child Feeding (YCF) Policy.
“The updated MIYCN Policy now encompasses adolescent and maternal nutrition and other emerging issues. This comprehensive approach is designed to provide a robust framework for improving nutritional out comes across the lifespan,” Ahmed said.
The Commissioner noted that the Training of Trainers is a crucial component of the strategy.
She explained that by equipping the
trainers with the latest knowledge and skills, they were laying the foundation for a cascade of education and support that will reach every corner of Kaduna State.
“Your role as trainers is vital in empowering mothers, caregivers, and communities with the information and practices necessary to foster healthier generations,”she said
One of the partners, the State Coordinator of Civil Society Scaling Up Nutriton in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) in Kaduna, Ms Jessica Bartholomew, said the training was important to them especially on the need to know critically about MIYCN.
She said it was also important for CS-SUNN in order for them to know what they need in creating awareness and sensitising women and children at the community level.
“As a civil society, we normally interact with women and children during awareness creation at community level, so it is very important that we go through the process of the training to acquire all the needed skills for counseling women to be better care givers in terms giving children all the nutriton requirements and ensure a reduction in malnutrition through the services they will be rendering to the children.
“It is important for us to update the community about the best practices in improving nutriton outcomes in the state,”she said.
Another participant, Dr. Safiya Aliyu Tijjani, the Head of Department (HOD) of Nutriton and Dietetics in Kaduna Polytechnic, said the training is a way forward which will path ways for alot of things to be corrected.
She pledged to step down the knowledge she would gain down to their students who would become nutritionists in practice.
NAN reports that the master-trainers were trained on the latest scientific evidence and global best practices in maternal and child nutrition, with a focus on the first 1,000 days of life. They learned how to provide quality nutrition services, including counseling and support for mothers, infants, and young children.
The training of master-trainers is a crucial step in scaling up MIYCN services in Kaduna State. The World Bank-ANRiN project’s support has been instrumental in strengthening the capacity of healthcare workers to deliver quality nutrition services. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is committed to ensuring that all mothers, infants, and young children have access to optimal nutrition care, and this training is a significant step towards achieving this goal.
NAN reports that the trainees were LG Nutriton Focal Persons, LG Health Secretaries, health related development partners, among others.
