Gombe ministry produces 30,000 pieces of complementary food
Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Gombe State Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation has manufactured 30,000 pieces of complementary food for the treatment of moderately malnourished children in the state.
Recall that for months now, the state has witnessed stock out of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) across Community based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), sites located in some LGAs.
Confirming this development, Dr. Aisha Maigari, who is the Commissioner, said this fit was achieved with the collaboration of department of food and nutrition, Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe.
Maigari disclosed this on Tuesday, at the 3rd Science, Technology, Innovation, Agriculture and Mineral Resources Expo, held at the Incubation centre, where the state Governor Inuwa Yahaya, commissioned the centre for the production of the complementary food.
She said, “It is worthy of note that under this administration, the governor approved the production of complementary feeding for moderately malnourished children and increased the budgetary allocation by 150%. The governor encouraged us to look inwards and source materials locally and the Covid-19 has shown us how vulnerable we are. The ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation collaborated with relevant agencies in ensuring that standards of the highest order are maintained.”
Also speaking, Governor Inuwa Yahaya, lauded the effort of the collaboration in charting the state out of malnutrition.
He said despite the abundant food production in the state, Gombe ranks high amongst states that are wreaked by Severe malnutrition, thereby causing high infant mortality.
“Because the future of our state belongs to our children and we are duty bound to ensure that we succeed in our collective goal of building a great, peaceful and prosperous state
“Science does not only influence a countries level of development but also determines it international competitiveness of ranking in the world economy. Similarly, natural resources have been the main drivers of economic development of all Nations across the Globe. I like assure you of government’s commitment in Agriculture and mineral resources development.
“Let me use the opportunity to commend the ministry for the successful commencement of production of complementary food for management of moderately malnourished children in Gombe state,” Yahaya said.
On his part, Solomon Kareem, Head of Department, Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, said this initiative will help the state use food items within the state to arrest the scourge of malnutrition.
He said, “There is no better thing to do than to support a young child’s life. We can use all we have in this state to get what we want; we have maize, millet, soybeans, groundnut and so on. If all these are well put together am sure no child will be malnourished in this state.”
