The Enugu State Government has approved a counterpart fund for value-added foods to treat and check under-nutrition and stunt-growth in all children in the state.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, on Thursday, said the value-added nutritious food is for children from zero to 59 months.

The theme of the meeting is: “Prioritising Investment in Maternal, Infant, Young Child and Adolescent Nutrition

He said, “the state government will shore up the nutritional needs of children under-five and this will further reduce infant mortality to the barest minimum in the state.

“The state government is grateful to UNICEF, other international and local health partners, as well as other stakeholders in ensuring that the state gets it right and rank among the states with the highest well-fed and well-nourished children in the country.

The governor was represented by his deputy, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, said this while declaring open a one-day High-Level Partnership and Coordination Meeting with Stakeholders and Policy Makers on Investment in Nutrition.

Speaking on the event, Mrs Juliet Chiluwe, Chief of Field Office UNICEF Enugu, noted “that the meeting offered an opportunity for awareness creation and high level advocacy on the importance of nutrition to the survival and general well-being of women and children, as well as its impact on productivity, economic growth and national development.

“The event is very strategic as policy makers from the state and LGAs, relevant federal stakeholders and the private sector are present to reinforce government support for the state to expand scope of the nutrition programme.

Mrs Chiluwe said, “this programme, which has been at the three pilot LGAs since 2019, rolled out planned strategies and community innovations to tackle nutrition issues, especially in the first 1000 days, with expectations of breaking the inter-generational cycle of under-nutrition within Enugu State. Available evidence shows that getting the right nutrients at the right time is critical.

“Enugu State has stunting (growth) rate of 15 per cent, approximately 147,816  children are shorter than expected height for their age, with associated poor cognitive functions,” she added.