KANO (North-West, Nigeria) — The Civil Society – Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, CS-SUNN has advocated for the release of counterpart funding of the sum of N637.98 million by the Kano State government for the procurement of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) in order to prevent anemia in the state.
According to the National Demographic and Health Survey, NDHS 2023, shows that Kano state accounts for 60 per cent women who suffer from anemia.
The Acting Program Manager of CS-SUNN, Kunle Ishola who made this known during an advocacy visits to the nutrition line Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), said the advocacy became necessary to ensure the MDAs push with a collective voice for the release of the funds to flush out anemia which could be detrimental to the health of pregnant mothers and children.Kano State Commissioner of Information and Internal Affairs, Baba Halilu Dantiye and CS-SUNN advocacy team after the visit.
According to him, “Iron deficiency Anemia is the most common form of anemia where the body lacks iron to produce the red blood cells. Its deficiency in pregnancy could lead to maternal and/or foetal death and could lead to deformities in newborns. And these health issues are preventable.
“So how can it be prevented is why we are here today. There is this formulation called UNIMMAP Multiple Micro-Nutrients Supplements, MMS which has 15 vitamins and minerals for the prevention of anemia. And the good part of it is that our partners, UNICEF has a Child Nutrition Fund CNF opportunity, which is a counterpart funding opportunity. So if Kano decides to release the funds for purchase of MMS, UNICEF will give it counterpart funding and double the procurement of the Nutrition commodities.
“At the moment, the Federal Ministry of Health has provided us with 1,200 cartons of MMS free of charge but that is not enough because of the population of Kano State.
“Again, the Kano state government has approved N637.98 million for the purchase of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food, RUTF and Multiple Micro-Nutrients Supplements, MMS. So what we need now is the cash backing for the approval. So we are advocating to the line Ministries, department and agencies to push with one voice the message for the cash backing and release of the approved funds to take out anemia from Kano state,” Ishola noted.
Earlier, the coalition had taken the advocacy visit to the Ministries of Planning and Budget, Finance, Information and Internal Affairs, Health, Education, Water Resources, Women Affairs and State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA among others.
Responding during the advocacy visit, the Commissioner of Planning and Budget, Musa Suleiman gave kudos to the consistency of the CS-SUNN in Kano State with regards to efforts they put in place to eradicate malnutrition in the state.
Suleiman’s counterpart, Commissioners of Information and Internal Affairs, Baba Halilu Dantiye and Finance, Ibrahim Jibril expressed the readiness and commitment to lend their voices to the release of the counterpart funds based on the advocacy asks by the team.
