Why Feeding Of Infant, Child Is Crucial For Enhancing Survival – UNICEF
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has stressed the need for the feeding of infant and young child, stressing that it is crucial for enhancing child survival and fostering healthy growth and development.
UNICEF further said that the initial two years of a child’s life carry significant importance, stressing that providing optimal nutrition during this period can lower rate of morbidity and mortality, diminish the risk of chronic diseases, and facilitate overall better development.
It also said that around the age of six months, infants are also developmentally prepared for the introduction of other foods as complementary feeding.
UNICEF therefore said that in order to promote the advocacy on age-appropriate complementary feeding, its Bauchi Field Office is organising a media dialogue and media field visit.
A letter of invitation sent by UNICEF for the media dialogue stated that it would share insights into some questions on how the governments, policymakers, parents among others can promote complementary feeding
Other questions to be discussed include; “How does age-appropriate complementary feeding enhance the prevention of malnutrition? What is the child nutrition fund? How can state governments maximize the fund to enhance nutrition conditions in their states?”
It said that in some Local Government Areas of Gombe state, UNICEF is already implementing a complementary feeding project, adding that as part of the media engagement, there will be a field trip to one of the Local Government Areas, adding that the dialogue has been scheduled to hold on May 6 and 17, 2024 in Gombe, while the field visit to Kaltungo LGA will take place on Friday, May 17, 2024.
