The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has presented a consignment of ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF) to the Gombe State Government to address severe acute malnutrition among children under five years of age.
The presentation was made by the Chief of Field Office (CFO) of UNICEF in Bauchi, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, during the quarterly meeting of the Task Force on Primary Healthcare, held at the Office of the Deputy Governor in Gombe , chaired by the Deputy Governor, Manassah Daniel Jatau, on Friday.
The meeting aimed to review the previous quarter's performance and evaluate progress towards achieving its objectives.
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 matching fund of N175 million.
The Chief Financial Officer emphasized that “children are the future of the next generation” and emphasized the importance of addressing malnutrition to ensure a healthy and productive society.
A representative of the Nigerian Governors Forum commended the efforts of Gombe State in healthcare, highlighting the recognition of the state as the second best in the North East region in health initiatives. The forum expressed strong support for the health policies of Gombe State.
During the meeting, Lieutenant Governor Dr. Manassah Jatau acknowledged the Committee's improvements but emphasized 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, emphasizing: “The meeting was an opportunity to address areas of failure and discuss how we can improve our efforts.”
The Lieutenant Governor congratulated the members of the Committee for their prompt attendance at the meetings, highlighting this as a testimony of their commitment to fulfilling the mandate.
He stressed that “health is the driving force of other sectors of society. When health is compromised, everything else fails.”
The lieutenant 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 boxes of ready-to-use therapeutic foods from Dr. Rafique, Head of UNICEF Field Office in 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 resources will be used wisely to reduce child malnutrition.
The meeting was also attended by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, and the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Shuaibu.
Both emphasized that the purpose of the meeting was to review the progress of the committee and evaluate the implementation of the policies and decisions made in the previous quarter.
They also discussed the development of a work plan to ensure better outcomes through appropriate integration and synergies in healthcare 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, commended 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.
Key officials also made presentations, including Mr. Abdulkadir Mohammed Aliyu, SERICC Project Manager; Mr. Félix Habila Gambo, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics of the State Agency for the Development of Primary Health Care; and the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, who provided updates on the OBR, APS and key performance indicators.
The meeting concluded with a call for continued collaboration and innovation to improve the quality of healthcare in Gombe State.