The Enugu State Government has expressed its commitment to promoting Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition, MIYCN, in the state.
Governor Peter Mbah gave his administration’s commitment at the closing ceremony of 8-day training of 60 health workers in the state on Maternal, Infant and Young Child nutrition, MICYN.
The training was organised by the nutrition department of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the World Bank ANRIN project.
The governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Health , Dr. Ikechukwu Obi said his administration will work with relevant stakeholders including the State House of Assembly to implement far- reaching recommendations made at the training and urged the participants to put into positive use the knowledge gained from the training while commending their dedicated attention throughout the training period.
On her part, the Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku said nutrition is crucial in the first 1000 days of a child’s life, stressing that a lot of developmental milestones are achieved within the period.
According to her, the training has afforded the participants the opportunity to identify the causes of poor nutrition, stressing that participants would have been equipped with the knowledge to send the message to the rural areas to ensure adequate nutrition.
The State Nutrition Officer, SNO, Mrs. Loveth Onwuzulike while presenting MIYCN training implementation action plan said there will be advocacy visits to relevant stakeholders to promote the establishment of department of nutrition in all line ministries as well as recruitment of more nutrition officers in the state.
Mrs. Onwuzulike appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to support Enugu state in MIYCN training for secondary health facilities, even as she appealed to the participants to implement their back to work plan.
Other stakeholders at the ceremony representing traditional institutions, religious bodies and civil society organisations also lend their voices to effective implementation of Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition even as they signed Enugu State Commitment to promote adequate nutrition in the state.
The training in ENUGU was coordinated by 10 National and 2 state facilitators with Thompson Kobata as team lead.
The 8-Day MIYCN training is aimed at increasing the quality and cost effective nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls and children under five years of age.
It is also to equip the participants with the knowledge and skills that will enable them stepdown the training at the state level.
This is expected to improve the counseling practices of healthcare workers, breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices of mothers and caregivers with attendant outcome of improved nutritional status of mothers, infants, young children and adolescents.
The training brought together 60 health workers from various health facilities across Enugu, including nurses, midwives, nutritionists, and community health workers who are directly involved in maternal and child healthcare including Members of the State Committee on Food and Nutrition, SCFN.
The facilitators delivered Modular Courses content with 10 modules, covering introduction, counseling, adolescent and maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, MIYCN in exceptionally difficult circumstances, actions to promote, protect and support breastfeeding, nutritional assessment and group monitoring, social and behavioral change communication as well as monitoring and evaluation.
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