Ajoni LCDA Fights Against Child's Morbidity, Mortality, Distributes Food Supplements to 400 Infants and malnourished Children.

Ajoni LCDA Fights Against Child's Morbidity, Mortality, Distributes Food Supplements to 400 Infants and malnourished Children.

....canvasses exclusive breastfeeding for infants.

Being part of the measures to curb incidences of child's mortality and malnourishment, the Ajoni Local Council Development Area of Ekiti State, has distributed food supplements to 400 infants and children in the local councildevelopment area.

The Chairman of the Council, Hon. (Amb.) Michael Ogungbemi fcpa, who said the programme was being prosecuted since 2022 under Child's Cares policy of his administration, advised nursing mothers to embrace exclusive breastfeeding as part of the ways to mitigate infant morbidity and mortality rates in the state.

Hon. (Amb.) Michael Ogungbemi fcpa, Executive Chairman Ajoni LCDA.  

Prince Ogungbemi, who disclosed this in a statement he released in Ayedun Ekiti, headquarters of the LCDA, on Wednesday, stated that the policy was in tandem with the Human Capital Development of the Biodun Oyebanji's administration and high premium value it places on wellness of the citizens, especially the infants and children.

The council boss said the distribution of the free food supplement, was midwifed by the office of his wife , Olori Christianah Olayinka Ogungbemi, the Chairperson, while the staff of the community department of the council were saddled with the responsibility of mobilizing the mothers for the programme. This is the second phase with fair and equitable distribution to Ipao, Oke Ako, Irele, Ijowa, Itapaji and Iyemero communities.

Ogungbemi stated that the programme was being undertaken in partnership with the Bountiful Children's Foundation, BCF, USA to Improve the use and provisions of rich macronutrient food supplement for malnourished infants and children within 1,000 days of life into the new programme.

Ogungbemi said under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children, that every infant and child is entitled to proper nutrition, consistent with their rights to life, survival, and development. 

The Chairman described as unacceptable, the frightening statistics that over 45% of deaths traceable to infants and children were caused by poor nutrition globally, adding that records substantiated the fact that over 820,000 children's lives could be saved each year, if all children between ages 0–23 months were optimally breastfed.

Canvassing strong support for exclusive breastfeeding, Prince Ogungbemi revealed that the concept remained the most effective way to ensure child's health and survival. 

Ogungbemi said: "This new child's health outreach programne has screened over 700 infants and children across Ajoni Local Council Development Area and had provided free supply of rich macronutrient food supplement to over four hundred 400 malnourished infants and children within Ajoni Communities. 

In its first phase, Ayebode, Odo Ayedun, Esun and Oke Ayedun communities benefitted in the intervention drive for uninterrupted six months provisions of rich macronutrient food supplement to malnourished infants and children.

"The Ajoni Child cares programme is a sustainable efforts in reducing Child's morbidity and mortality rate across Ajoni communities and to also aids children brain development, cognitive reasoning and healthiness in different homes or families within the LCDA as said by my wife. 

"Breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months of life, and sustained for up to 2 years or longer with appropriate complementary feeding like the provisions of rich macronutrient food supplement from 6 months to 3 years old infants and children's, is the biologically normal and unparalleled method of nourishing infants, especially vulnerable newborns.

"The food supplements support optimal growth, improves immune function and neurodevelopment, and has been proven to contain antibodies, reducing the disease burden, as endorsed in clinical guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF Nigeria, and leading health organisations, including the frontline impact documented by globally recognized Bountiful Children's Foundation, USA".

Speaking further on the significance of the programme, Ogungbemi stated that for the global community to achieve SDG target 3.2, which borders on ending all preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age by 2030, that the council had focused efforts on scaling up the Ajoni health Advocacy outreach for malnourished infants and children.

He added that the Ajoni Child's heath Advocacy Programme, is to promote and support newborns and children requiring intensive medical care, addressing barriers, as well as educating on the importance, expression techniques, and utilising breastfeeding aids and at-breast supplemental systems.

"The Ajoni LCDA and BCF free screening and provision of free and rich macronutrient food supplement programme also include research and evaluation component to monitor effectiveness and data, guiding future evidence-based interventions and development of a sustained supportive environment.

"By leveraging on a multidisciplinary approach and prioritising parental involvement, this programme contributes to improve health outcomes of infants by reducing the child's morbidity and mortality rate in the Local Council Development Area and Ekiti State at large", he stated.