Nigeria: Kpakungu Phc - More Women Are Accessing Nutrition Services for Free

blog

Kpakungu Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) is situated in the Soje 'B' area of Kpakungu, in Minna South, Chanchaga Local Government (LGA) of Niger State. According to Ummu Muhammad, the deputy officer in charge (2IC) of the PHC, Malnutrition Day is observed every Thursday at Kpakungu PHC. Since 2021, women from Kpakungu and neighboring communities have been receiving counseling and "ready-to-use therapeutic food" (RUTF) at the PHC to enhance the nutritional status of their children under the age of five. This support is provided by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

Hajiya Goggo Yahaya, a resident of Kpakungu who had visited the PHC for the second time to collect RUTF for a 1-year-old orphan she is nursing, expressed gratitude for the free service, stating that the supplement had significantly improved the orphan's health. Similarly, Amina, another beneficiary, reported that her 8-month-old son had been severely malnourished before they started accessing care at the PHC. She expressed delight that her son had gained weight, increasing from 3.5kg to over 4kg.

According to the 2IC, the malnutrition intervention has significantly improved the PHC's service delivery. "This intervention has encouraged women with malnourished children to visit the PHC more frequently, resulting in an increase in the number of weekly visitors from 10 to around 30," she said. Additionally, the PHC is receiving further nutritional supplements through the World Bank's Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) program in Niger State. The 2IC pointed out that many women living farther away from the PHC remain unaware of the intervention.

The malnutrition intervention has brought happiness to the people of Kpakungu community however, they are optimistic that further improvements can be made by

  • Amplifying the information to reach more women,
  • Ensuring the sustainability of the intervention.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.