KNSG and UNICEF partner to Combat Malnutrition With 1 Billion Naira Worth of Therapeutics Food .
The Kano State Government in partnership with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has handed over Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) worth ₦1 billion to the Local Government facilities in the State to treat severely malnourished children.
The handover ceremony was chaired by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, government representatives, development partners, and other stakeholders.
During the ceremony at Takai local Government appreciate UNICEF for it numerous and multitudinous contributions to the children of Kano State .
Meanwhile Kano State Government’s contribution of ₦500 million to the Child Nutrition Fund with an additional ₦500 million by UNICEF making it 1 billion , procuring 12,948 cartons of RUTF to treat over 17,000 severely malnourished children.
According to UNICEF, 51.9% of Kano’s children are stunted not growing well, while over 10% are wasted or too thin for their height.
During the Ceremony UNICEF has called on the Kano State Government to release more resources in 2025 to procure more commodities, especially RUTF and MMS through the Child Nutrition Fund.
The organization also urged the state government to conduct the second round of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Week (MNCHW) not later than early December 2025 and procure deworming tablets in sufficient quantities to reach all children 12-59 months in the state.
Additionally, UNICEF requested the state government to approve 6 months paid maternity leave to protect infant health and nutrition and support exclusive breastfeeding.
However,The Child Nutrition Fund is a catalytic financing mechanism that allows national governments to double their investment in essential nutrition commodities to accelerate the scale-up of policies and programs for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of malnutrition.