Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The District Head of Toro, Alhaji Umar Adamu, has commended UNICEF for supporting the cause of women and children in the area of nutrition, saying that the initiative has really improved their lives.

Adamu made the commendation yesterday when he received a team from the Country Office of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Abuja led by the Deputy Country Representative of Programme, Dr. Rownak Khan.

He said that women in the LGA have been supporting the initiative and campaign for adequate nutrition attention to children in their first 1,000 days.

According to him, “Here in Toro LGA, because our women have embraced the nutrition initiative, we have healthy children and mothers who are engaging in exclusive breastfeeding of the children.

“We engaged in serious advocacy and sensitization meetings before we got to the stage we are now. “

“Without the cooperation of the women, we will not be here. The women have been supportive and cooperative of the initiative.”

The Katukan Bauchi also stated that the issue of open defecation has been tackled thereby making the entire LGA open defecation free (ODF), adding that efforts have been intensified to ensure that the status was maintained.

In her brief remarks, the UNICEF Deputy Country Representative, Programme, Dr. Rownak Khan, said that she was in Bauchi to see for herself the giant strides achieved in the area of child nutrition and immunisation.

Khan commended the traditional ruler for the role he played and still playing in improving family health and safe motherhood, stating that those are the focus of UNICEF.

She emphasized the need for the traditional institutions to be involved in issues of women and children health because according to her, they are the major components of society.

The UNICEF Deputy Country Representative of Programme stated that the organization would continue to give technical support to the state in the implementation of its various interventions.

Also speaking, the Chief of Field Office (CFO), UNICEF Bauchi Field Office (BFO), Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, urged the District Head to advocate to his colleagues the need for the traditional institutions to key into the programme for the promotion of women and children’s health.

Rafique stated that UNICEF is impressed with the implications of the nutrition initiatives in Toro LGA, stressing that the area is the nutrition champions in the state.

The UNICEF Nutrition Officer, Philomena Irene, also commen

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