By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The Kwara State Government has reaffirmed its commitment towards enhancing an improved nutritional health among infants and pregnant women, being a crucial step towards reducing maternal mortality.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina El-Imam, stated this on Tuesday in Ilorin, the State capital, at the opening ceremony of a five-day Training of Trainers workshop on Maternal Infant Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN).
Dr. El-Imam highlighted the critical importance of adequate nutrition throughout pregnancy, infancy and early childhood, underscoring its profound impact on child development and national well-being.
She noted that malnutrition-related deaths constitute a significant portion of infant and maternal mortality nationwide, a statistic she deemed unacceptable.
The training, organised jointly by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Kwara State Ministry of Health and supported by the World Bank’s ANRiN project, aims at expanding the pool of trainers, capable of cascading trainings to health facilities across the State.
In his remarks, the Director of Public Health, Kwara State Ministry of Health, Dr. Oluwatosin Fakayode, corroborated the report, describing current levels of infant and maternal mortality as intolerable and unacceptable, emphasising that addressing undernutrition is pivotal in lowering mortality rates among mothers and children under age five.
“Increasing the knowledge base of healthcare workers and enhancing the nutritional practices of mothers, pregnant women and adolescent girls are central to improving dietary diversity and quality. This approach is crucial in mitigating malnutrition related risks and reducing under 5 mortality,” he added.
The workshop was attended by participants from various sectors including; healthcare providers, academics and civil organisations.