NAFDAC engages Yobe health workers on tackling malnutrition
From Habibu Idris Gimba, Damaturu
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in collaboration with Yobe Ministry of Health engaged health workers on ways to tackle malnutrition in children across the state.
Mrs Rahila Maishanu, the Desk Officer of NAFDAC, disclosed this on Tuesday at the inauguration of … -day capacity building and monitoring training for Yobe state Multi-Sectoral Technical Committee, in Damaturu.
She said the move would improve breastfeeding outcomes in compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS).
“The training was meant to equip health workers and committees on how to implement the International code of Marketing Breast milk substitutes,” she said. 
Maishanu noted that the participants would at the end of the workshop have the knowledge required to ensure the right implementation of the 50 percent rate in exclusive breastfeeding by the year 2025.
‘‘With this knowledge we expect to equip the people, health workers and media to become code ambassadors to be able to advocate for exclusive breastfeeding to convert malnutrition in Yobe state,’’ she said.
According to her, one of the major factors that have been identified to mitigate against breastfeeding and malnutrition is the use of breastfeed substitutes, saying breastfeed is the best for babies.
Our correspondent learned that BMS codes are a set of global recommendations by WHO/UNICEF to member countries to adopt in its entirety to promote, protect and support breastfeeding.
