Malnutrition: Otti heads Abia council on nutrition to tackle menace

Abia State Council on Nutrition has been inaugurated by Governor Alex Otti, to implement the Nutrition 774 (N-774) Initiative of the Federal government in Abia State.

The Council headed by Governor Otti, is to ensure effective implementation and sustainability of nutritional activities across Abia State in line with the policy directives of the Federal government.

Otti, who inaugurated the Council while receiving the National Technical Working Group, led by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health and the Focal Person on Nutrition 774, Dr Uju Rochas – Anwukah in Abia, said nutrition indicators would be properly monitored and reported in the state .

He explained that his administration devoted 15% and 20% to health and education, pointing out that adequate feeding of the people is key to defeating sickness and malnutrition.

In her speech, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Nutrition and the Focal Person for the Nutrition 774 initiative, Dr Uju Rochas-Anwukah said the N-774 was established to improve nutritional outcomes across the 774 LGAs in the country.

Anwukah, who described malnutrition as a global menace that requires a collective efforts to combat, regretted that it is contributing to the high numbers of death in children in Nigeria and across the globe and also drives poverty.

She said that a national framework, Nutrition 774, which is a flagship programme of National Council on Nutrition has been collectively developed to tackle the menace of malnutrition and commended Otti on his administration’s strides in health and other sectors.

“Your Excellency, malnutrition is a menace killing our people.

“It is a global challenge. It does not just exist here in Nigeria. It is a universal issue that does not understand tribal differences”, said the President’s Aide.

Malnutrition: Otti heads Abia council on nutrition to tackle menace