UNICEF unveils children nutrient syrup to combat malnutrition

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has unveiled a liquid base supplement to enhance child nutrients to stem malnutrition in Nigeria.

Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Field Office, Bauchi, Mrs Philomena Irene, stated this at a two-day media dialogue on Age-Appropriate Complementary Feeding for Children, on Thursday in Gombe.

Irene said the project was being implemented in Dukku, Kaltungo and Kwami Local Government Areas of Gombe state under the UNICEF’s Progressive Action on Resilient System Through Innovation and Partnership (PARSNIP) project.

She said the project focused at enhancing child nutrients through liquid base supplements, which is rich in nutrients, protein, minerals and vitamins.

“It is for children under the age of 6 to 23 months by adding it to their food. It is formulated for children living in severe food poverty.

“It has shown that these children living in severe food poverty can’t even have a meal in a day that is rich with five food groups which is the minimum.

“The idea is, if you give them one sachet of the commodity, they have taken one meal a day that is nutrient dense which contains 100 to 120 calories a day.

“It has protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins,” she said.

According to her, the UNICEF is working with state governments towards creating enabling environment for health system strengthening and improve diet practices.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise is being attended by media practitioners drawn from Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau and Taraba.

NAN