CHIMA AZUBUIKE, Gombe
Professor Ashir Garba, professor of pediatrics and community pediatrics, University of Maiduguri has harped on the need for structures, if the menace of Severe Acute Malnutrition must be tackled.
He stated this on tuesday in Gombe at the state committee on food and nutrition put together in collaboration with the Four Consortium which includes CISLAC, civil society legislative advocacy centre, ABF, Aisha Buhari Foundation, NHED, Network for Health Equity and Development and ISMPH, International Society of Media in Public Health.
He noted that Gombe state is yet to come up with food policy as it is key in the combat.
Professor Garba said “when we are talking about structures in health system we are talking about human resource, department, policy documents that will ensure we are guided by the books as far as policy formulation there should be state nutrition policy for Gombe state, there should be five years strategic plan of action.
“We should have an integrated work plan, so that all sectors can show where they are intervening so that there won’t be any case of duplication and all should come together to ensure coordination Health financing is also key”
He added that there is alot of politics and economics surrounding Ready to Use Therapeutic Food “We talk about capacity for local production as it is not up to 10million to start a mini factory, instead you hear the peanut grown in Gombe has a lot of toxin so partnership with Academia, policy makers and entrepreneurs that will like to invest so that we can have a substitute”.