By Sani Adamu Hassan
The Alive & Thrive FHI360 project has concluded its three-year Accelerating the Scale-up of Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (ASMIYCN) initiative in Bauchi State, recording major gains in health worker training, community outreach, and nutrition services.
At the closing ceremony, which also marked the dissemination of the Bauchi State Essential Medicine Lists and Multiple Micronutrient Supplement (MMS) project, State Coordinator, Mr. Chidiebere Asimobi, said the programme strengthened maternal and child nutrition services across the state.
He disclosed that 174 health workers and 57 personnel from the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Board (BSPHCB) and Local Government Health Authorities (LGHAs) were trained on supportive supervision, while 94 LGHA staff and 323 community volunteers were trained on creating demand for maternal and child nutrition services across 20 Local Government Areas.
The project also distributed more than 50,000 information, education, and communication (IEC) materials, anthropometry equipment, and NeoNatalie kits to health facilities, and integrated nutrition services into antenatal care, postnatal care, and routine immunisation.
To improve data management, 50 smartphones configured with mobile DHIS2 were donated to primary health centres in six LGAs, while 45 civil society organisations were trained on anaemia prevention and maternal nutrition service tracking.
According to Asimobi, community engagement activities reached 493,799 persons, including 78,309 adolescent girls, 68,293 women, and 151,737 men, through door-to-door campaigns and other outreach efforts.
“The success recorded by this project reflects the importance of community-based engagement in improving maternal and child health outcomes,” he said.
In his remarks, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sani Muhammad Dambam, announced the approval of ₦300 million as counterpart funding to fight severe acute malnutrition in children under five, in partnership with UNICEF under the Child Nutrition Fund project.
Country Representative of Alive & Thrive FHI360, Dr. Victor Ogbodo, represented by Dr. James Oloyede, commended the Bauchi State Government for its collaboration, noting that “as one project closes, another is set to begin.”
Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, emphasised the role of nutrition in human capital development. He said improved maternal and child nutrition was essential for building a healthier and more productive society, and praised FHI360 and partners for supporting women and children with MMS supplements that reduced anaemia, low birthweight, and related complications.
The Alive & Thrive project was implemented by FHI360 in partnership with the Bauchi State Government and development partners.