The centres would be located in three Local Government Areas(LGAs) with a high rate of malnutrition in the three senatorial zones of the state.

The Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency says it plans to establish nutrition centres to address the problems of malnutrition in the state.

Chioma Ezenyimulu, the Executive Secretary of the Agency, disclosed this at the ongoing 2022 Revised Budget defence before the State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation on Friday in Awka.

Ms Ezenyimulu said that the centres would be located in three Local Government Areas (LGAs) with a high rate of malnutrition in the three senatorial zones of the state.

She identified Awka North, Ihiala and Onitsha North as the endemic areas.

"Nutrition is one of our major programmes in the agency and the Federal Government gave us ready- to-use therapeutic foods for the treatment of acute malnutrition in children.

"Establishing these zonal nutrition centres is one of the criteria to get these therapeutic foods from the federal government.

"Other LGAs in the state can refer cases to these centres when they are fully set up.

"It was captured in our budget and we hope that funds will be released to implement the project," she said.

The executive secretary said that the state, in collaboration with partners, conducted a survey on malnutrition in children where the LGAs were identified as endemic.