By Khalid Idris Doya
The Nigerian Red Cross Society has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling malnutrition among under-5 children across nine states in Nigeria. The organization launched a multi-state emergency nutrition intervention in the North-East and North-Central zones, targeting Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger, Benue, and Taraba states.
Prince Oluyemisi Adetayo Adeaga, National President of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, represented by National Disaster Adviser Dr. Babale Adamu, emphasized the urgency of addressing food insecurity and its potential long-term impacts. "When you talk about malnutrition, it is not a very good thing... it's devastating, a catastrophe that can affect all your food in your community," he said.
Adeaga called for closer collaboration with government agencies, noting that the Red Cross cannot tackle the crisis alone. "We are working, but we cannot function alone. We are running a government of Nigeria. We need to involve government representatives at all levels to strengthen the impact and ensure sustainability of interventions," he added.
Dr. Aminu Abdullahi, Acting Director of the Health and Care Department of the Nigerian Red Cross, described malnutrition as a national emergency. The Red Cross has launched an appeal to the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent (IFRC) to support the Nigerian government's response.
The intervention involves working closely with local communities through initiatives like Mother's Clubs, training local women on how to prevent, detect, and manage malnutrition using available local foods. "We must stop treating symptoms while ignoring the causes. If we don’t empower caregivers and tackle underlying issues, we’ll keep seeing the same malnutrition cases year after year," Abdullahi stressed.
Representatives of the participating states commended the Nigerian Red Cross Society for the timely initiative and pledged their support to ensure the success of the malnutrition response efforts. The Red Cross aims to address the root causes of malnutrition, including poverty, lack of knowledge, and poor caregiving practices, through community education, screening, referral systems, and reintegration support.
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