A member of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Moses Essien, has decried the alarming rate of malnutrition among children and has called for interventions to address the ugly development.
Essien, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Food Security and Nutrition, stated this during a stakeholders’ meeting attended by representatives from ministries and local government councils and expressed dismay over the data from the National Demographic Health Survey of 2018 indicating that 24.1 per cent of children in Akwa Ibom are stunted, 11.8 per cent are wasted, and 22.6 per cent are underweight.
He said there was a need for effective and urgent intervention to combat the health risks associated with malnutrition, namely, increased infant mortality rates
According to him, the idea behind the stakeholders’ meeting followed “the establishment of the National Legislative Network (NLN) on nutrition and food security at the National Assembly in Abuja on July 22, 2024,” saying it would “enhance collaboration among key stakeholders, including the National Assembly, various government ministries, and development partners,” with its mission to combat malnutrition and ensure food security for residents of Akwa Ibom State.
He stressed the need for “a multi-sector framework to tackle issues of malnutrition and food security in the state and for the local government councils in the state to complement the steps being taken by the House of Assembly by forming the nutrition and food security committee in the councils to get the measure to the communities and attract budgetary allocations.”
“The establishment of this committee stresses that combating these issues must involve legislative action alongside executive efforts.
“In addition, local government councils are encouraged to form their own nutrition and food security
committees to further advance these goals.”
Essien, who represents the Ibiono-Ibom State constituency, also disclosed that “a capacity-building workshop will soon be organized in collaboration with development partners to effectively address nutrition and food security challenges.”
He noted that the initiative was in line with “Governor Umo Eno’s Arise Agenda,” highlighting the administration’s commitment to improving health and nutrition for all citizens”.
Permanent secretaries in the affected ministries, local government representatives, and leaders of legislative councils unanimously agreed that the formation of the nutrition and food security committee represents a vital step forward in ensuring the health and well-being of Akwa Ibom’s children and communities and pledged their support accordingly.
