Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo on Monday, said the journey to ending the menace of malnutrition is a collective effort.
Osinbajo, who is the chairman National Council on Nutrition urged government across all levels to deploy resources to areas where it is needed.
He disclosed this in his remarks during a webinar session with the theme ‘Innovative Financing Options for Nutrition: Unravelling the Bottlenecks’, organized by the four consortium – Aisha Buhari Foundation, International Society of Media in Public Health, Network for Health Equity and Development and Civil Society legislative Advocacy Centre.
Osinbanjo said, “Data driven projection will help direction of resources to women and children. The journey to ending Malnutrition is a collective one, we should deploy resources to needed areas. The federal government is committed to revitalization the health of Nigerian child, and towards sustaining nutrition to tackle and restructure malnutrition responses.”
On his part, the Chairman Senate Committee on Health Sen. Ibrahim Oloriegbe said the senate will follow up to ensure the return of the 800 Million Naira dedicated to Nutrition budget.
He added, “Nigeria must agree on private funding mechanism of Nutrition budget.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Olumide Okunola, a health specialist said public financing of health care in Nigeria is one of the lowest.
He added that mechanized farming should be added to yield the needed value for land.
“A stunted child will grow into adulthood but will not be able to do complex things. If we focus on human capital, it we take us to development. Public financing for Healthcare is one of the lowest,” he stated.