By Bashir Bello, Kano

Lawmakers in Jigawa State House of Assembly have dedicated N150 million from their constituency projects allowance for procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, RUTF for treatment of severe acute malnourished children in the State.

This was in addition to the N100 million allocated in the 2020 appropriation act to address malnutrition in the state.

The Deputy Speaker, Sulaiman Musa Kadira made this known in a communique signed and issued to newsmen in Kano State at the end of a retreat organized by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) for the relevant committees in Jigawa State House of Assembly on the prevention and treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition as a child right.

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Other signatories to the communique include Chairmen of various house committees, Aliyu Ahmad Aliyu (Health), Sani Sale (Women Affairs), Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin (Water Resources), Hassan Keriya (Agriculture & Natural Resources), Abubakar Saddiq Jallo (Finance, Budget & Economic Planning) and Siraj Muhammad (Education) as well as the Chairman Jigawa Civil Society Forum, Comrade Muhammad Musbahu Basirka.

Part of the communique reads, “In the 2020 Appropriation Act, N100 million was allocated for the procurement of RUTF in Jigawa state, in addition to N150 million dedicated by State House of Assembly in their constituency project.

“State Assembly has committed to allocate part of the constituency project to the procurement of RUTF.

“Jigawa State presently records 9,208 cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition with 1,510 cartons (plus 8000 from Federal Ministry of Health) of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) available for the treatment, while effort is in place to sustain supply, avert stock-out and scale-up to other LGAs.

“Adequate budgetary allocation, cash-backing and timely release of nutrition fund to ensure sustained intervention, with strengthened oversight activities by the State House of Assembly on the releases and utilisation of funds.

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“Sustained Community-based Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) activities remain paramount to complement existing efforts at enhancing preventive and curative measures against Severe Acute Malnutrition in Jigawa state.

“With the recent development integrating RUTF as part of the National Essential Drug list, adequate and sustainable procurement of RUTF remain paramount to combat existing cases of SAM in the state.

“Jigawa State Government has commenced implementation of Social Protection Policy and Food and Nutrition Policy as part of the efforts to address malnutrition challenges in the state,” the communique however stated.

Vanguard News