Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has flagged off the training of 10,000 health workers across the state as part of a broad initiative to combat acute malnutrition among children and vulnerable members of the population.

The Governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Ali Bello during the official launch of the Training of Trainers on Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM), reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving maternal and child health outcomes through sustainable nutritional interventions.

According to the Governor, the training forms part of a strategic effort to equip frontline health workers, community volunteers, storekeepers and other relevant personnel with the knowledge and tools needed to identify, treat, and prevent malnutrition in all parts of the state.

A statement by Ismaila Isah, Special Adviser to the Governor Media and sent to Nationwide Reports quoted Ododo to have noted that the first 100 days of a child’s life from conception to the age of two are critical in determining long-term health and cognitive development, stressing that timely nutritional support during this period can be life-saving.

“To deliver on our promises to improve the health of our children, this administration has invested heavily in nutrition and health interventions, including the purchase of therapeutic foods worth hundreds of millions of naira, which will be made available at all referral centres in the state,” he said.

The Governor further announced that three IMAM Stabilization Centres have been approved to handle severe cases in addition to the rollout of community-level outreach to identify and treat malnourished children across all local government areas in the state.

He also directed the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency to absorb the cost of treating children with co-morbidities who appear in referral centres.

Governor Ododo called on, local government authorities, traditional rulers, religious institutions, and community-based organisations to actively support and mobilize their communities especially in targeting children aged six to 59 months, to access nutrition and healthcare services provided by the state government.

“Other key interventions include the establishment of nutrition departments in all line ministries, budget provisions for nutrition programmes, and support for the training of over 10,000 women on homestead gardening with the distribution of improved seedlings and farming tools to boost food security” he added.

Earlier, Chief Medical Director of the Kogi State Hospital Management Board, Dr. Ayo Olayemi described the six-day training on Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) as a crucial step towards reversing poor nutrition indices.

He noted that despite previous investments in child health, malnutrition remains a major challenge in the state, emphasizing the urgent need for a paradigm shift, as championed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adams Abdulazeez, to ensure improved nutritional outcomes for children in the state.