Abia State Governor Alex Otti has inaugurated the Abia State Council on Nutrition to drive the implementation of the Federal Government’s Nutrition 774 (N-774) Initiative across the state’s local government areas. The council, chaired by Governor Otti, aims to ensure effective execution and sustainability of nutritional activities in alignment with federal policy directives.
The inauguration took place during a meeting with the National Technical Working Group, led by Dr. Uju Rochas-Anwukah, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health and Focal Person for the Nutrition 774 Initiative, at the Government House in Umuahia. Otti emphasized that his administration would closely monitor and report nutrition indicators to address malnutrition effectively. He highlighted that Abia State has allocated 15% and 20% of its budget to health and education, respectively, underscoring the importance of proper nutrition in combating sickness and malnutrition.
In her address, Dr. Rochas-Anwukah explained that the N-774 Initiative, a flagship program of the National Council on Nutrition, was established to improve nutritional outcomes across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas. She described malnutrition as a “global menace” contributing to high child mortality rates and poverty in Nigeria and worldwide. “Malnutrition is a universal issue that does not understand tribal differences,” she stated, calling for collective efforts to tackle the crisis.
Dr. Rochas-Anwukah commended Governor Otti for his administration’s progress in health and other sectors, noting that the national framework of Nutrition 774 was developed to address malnutrition comprehensively. The newly inaugurated council is expected to play a pivotal role in improving nutritional outcomes and reducing malnutrition-related challenges in Abia State.
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