27 October 2009
Lagos — A cross section of Dietitians in Enugu, have observed with dismay the resurgence of severe malnutrition among children under the age of five in the country..
In a ten- point communiqué issued at the end of the session on nutrition and Dietetic practice in, members of the Dietitians Association of Nigeria, DAN, said it was regrettable that despite their campaign for the consumption of foods with high nutritional value, there was a resurgence of acute malnutrition among the kids.
"And this has resulted to an increase in morbidity and mortality among the under-fives as well as diet- related non communicable diseases, including diabetes and hypertension, leading to premature deaths and possible disability," the communiqué noted.
The communiqué which was jointly endorsed by the national president Dr. Mrs. Chika Ndiokwelu, national secretary Mrs. Mary- Jane Umeh, local organizing committee chairman, Mr. Gerald Ezeani, noted that nutrition as a key factor for sustainable development of any country, was relevant to Nigeria in its pursuit of the millennium development goals.
While commending the federal government for its recent approval and circulation of the new scheme of service for dietitians, the group however, expressed an urgent need for the establishment of departments of nutrition and dietetics in some universities in the northern part of the country.
The group also said there was the need to raise the level of training of dietitians in line with international standard.
The group expressed happiness that the association has been registered as a member of the International Confederation of Dietetic Associations as this will help uplift the practice of Nutrition and dietetics in Nigeria to international standard.
According to the communiqué, "the absence of a medical food administration policy in Nigeria to ensure that all patients in our hospitals are provided with adequate diets in line with their disease conditions is also condemned while efforts should be made by the Federal Ministry of Health as a matter of urgency to facilitate the establishment of the Dietitians Registration Council to regulate the training and practice of dietetic practitioners and save the lives of Nigerians from quacks and charlatans."
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