Katsina State Nutrition Officer, Abdulhadi Abdulkadir, said no fewer than 200,000 children were suffering from acute malnutrition in the state. Abdulkadir, who was speaking in Katsina during a stakeholders’ meeting on nutrition organised through the foundation of First Lady, Aisha Buhari, called Future Assured, added that over one million children under five years in the state are stunted. He said: “Over one million children under five in Katsina State are not growing well, that is they are stunted. Stunting is one of the chronic forms of malnutrition that cannot be corrected. “Over 200,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition. High maternal mortality rate as a result of iron deficiency anemia are contributing to 20 per cent maternal mortality.” He reiterated that acute malnutrition is also bedeviling over 12 per cent of women across the state, saying “our mothers and children are suffering from malnutrition.” He, however, said the state government had established Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) centres in 14 local government areas of the state. According to him, “The programme only covers 14 local government areas out of the 34 local government areas of the state and 361 wards that we have in Katsina State, which is not enough considering the number of children that are suffering from malnutrition and the number of children dying as a result of malnutrition.” This Day
Acute Malnutrition Hits 200,000 Children in Katsina
