The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA), has begun the training of 300 vulnerable groups on nutrition preparedness during emergencies in the state.
The Executive Secretary of KADSEMA, Mr Abubakar Hassan, made this known on Thursday in Zaria at the training of 100 vulnerable groups from Kaduna North Senatorial District.
The training was supported by Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ANRiN).
Hassan, represented by the Director, Kaduna State Fire Service, Mr Paul Aboi, said that the vulnerable groups, 100 from each of the three senatorial districts in the state would benefit from the training.
He identified the benefiting vulnerable groups as people living with HIV/AIDs, Persons Living with Disabilities, and Internally Displaced Persons.
According to him, the objective of the training is to acquaint the vulnerable groups with the knowledge and understanding of nutrition and how to adequately prepare during emergencies to avoid malnutrition.
The SEMA boss explained that natural disasters and other man-made crises increase the risk of malnutrition, illness, and death among vulnerable groups.
According to him, awareness of factors that affect nutritional status in emergency situations and the preparedness and response capacity for nutrition in emergencies are generally low.
“Livelihoods and food crops are usually lost, food supplies interrupted, frequency of and severity of infectious diseases increases and feeding practices are threatened and possibly impeded.
“This leads to an increased risk of acute malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, particularly among vulnerable groups.
“It is, therefore, crucial to support the vulnerable groups, who are majorly affected by emergencies with the capacity to adequately prepare a nutrition response during emergencies.”
ANRiN Project Coordinator, Dr Zainab Muhammad-Idris, said that the support was in line with ANRiN’s delivery of integrated basic package of nutrition and adolescent health services.
Muhammad-Idris, represented by Mrs Aishatu Jakada, Adolescent Health and Nutrition Officer, explained that the project objective was to increase the utilisation of quality cost effective nutrition services.
She identified the target groups as pregnant and lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children below five years.
She said that women, children, and other vulnerable groups constitute the largest victims during an emergency and stressed the need to sensitise them on how to prepare against malnutrition.
Also speaking, Mrs Chinwe Ezeife, the Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna, commended the agency for the laudable initiative, which she described as “very crucial” to nutrition in emergency response.
Ezeife said that UNICEF would continue to collaborate with the agency in strengthening nutrition preparedness in emergency situations to curb malnutrition among vulnerable groups.
Culled from NAN
