Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia. Credit: Benue State House
The Benue State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund, has intensified efforts to combat child malnutrition through a new intervention focused on the first 1,000 days of life, a period experts describe as critical for growth and brain development, Arewa PUNCH reports.
The initiative was the focus of a High-Level Engagement and Planning Meeting for policymakers, local government officials and stakeholders held on Thursday in Makurdi, with support from the United States Government.
A Nutrition Specialist with UNICEF’s Enugu Field Office, Mrs Ngozi Onuora, urged the state government to increase investment in the Child Nutrition Fund, warning that malnutrition remains a major public health challenge in Benue despite its agricultural status.
She said the intervention targets children from conception to their second birthday, stressing that the period determines long-term physical and cognitive development.
