By Bashir Aliyu
The Bauchi State Government, in collaboration with the Primary Health Care Development Board and CASCADE (Care Nigeria), has introduced “nutrition corners” at primary health centers (PHCs) across the state. These corners aim to educate pregnant and nursing mothers on how to prepare nutritious meals by combining locally available ingredients.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi State is grappling with a malnutrition crisis, with 54,000 children affected. Shockingly, two out of every 10 children in the state suffer from malnutrition. To address this, the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board and Care Nigeria, through their “Facility-Based Nutrition Corner” project—supported by the Development Exchange Centre (DEC)—have provided nutritional ingredients and procedural guidelines to 50 PHCs in 10 local government areas.
Speaking at the Miri PHC on Wednesday, Ishaya Daniel, Project Manager of CASCADE, highlighted that many rural women lack the knowledge to utilize locally available grains and vegetables for balanced diets. He explained, “We established these nutrition corners to target pregnant and nursing mothers during their antenatal care (ANC) visits. The goal is to teach them how to combine foods for better nutrition, ultimately reducing cases of malnutrition among children. Healthcare workers have been trained to guide these women.”
Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board, praised the initiative and its potential to curb malnutrition. He noted, “For the past five years, since I became Chairman, I’ve envisioned creating nutrition corners in all 323 PHCs across the state. However, it has been challenging to implement. I’m delighted that our partner, CASCADE, is making this a reality.”
Dr. Mohammed also urged lactating mothers to adopt exclusive breastfeeding and embrace simple, nutritious food combinations to combat stunting and wasting in children. He emphasized the importance of continued support from partners to sustain and expand such initiatives.
This innovative approach not only addresses immediate nutritional needs but also empowers women with the knowledge to improve their families’ health in the long term.
