The Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Victoria Uwadoka and others making a commitment towards improving iron intake during the “Live Strong with Iron Campaign” Wednesday in Abuja
Nestle Nigeria Plc had launched the Live Strong with Iron Campaign to address the increasing challenge of iron deficiency recorded in the country.
Nestle revealed that 68 per cent of children under-five years are Iron deficient, 37 per cent are stunted, while 58 percent of women within the representative age of 15 to 49 years are iron deficient.
The Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Victoria Uwadoka, at the Live Strong with Iron Campaign to mark the 2021 World Health Day said, the prevalence of iron deficiency is a public health problem in Nigeria adding that the campaign is aimed at creating awareness and drawing People’s attention to iron rich foods that we can easily get at cheaper rate.
Uwadoka said the objective of the campaign is to reach at least 50 percent of Nigerians with increased knowledge and awareness in order to reduce incidence of iron deficiency.
She said Nestle is in pattnership with stakeholders from the Federal Ministry of Health and Women Affairs to get the information down to the grassroots through community advocacy.
“There are lots of iron rich food such as sweet potato, ugwu leave, oranges and others that can easily be gotten without necessary spending much. We have most of the vegetables needed to boost iron in our backyard. We also advocate on how to prepare these vegetables so that they would not loose their nutrients.”
The Minister of Agriculture, Sabo Nanono said this campaign contributes to national effort on iron awareness which will help the vulnerable, nursing mothers and children because severe anaemia contributes to 50,000 maternal mortality.
Represented by the Director, Food and Strategic Reserve of the ministry, Mrs. Karima Babangida, the Minister said, Nigeria is already blessed with food rich in iron and they have already kicked off the campaign in some part of the north.
“We believe that this campaign will contribute to the national effort to raise awareness on Iron intake particularly the vulnerable households who do not have access to nutritional foods at all times. The campaign will reduce the incidence of iron deficiency with focus on children and pregnant women, lactating mothers and other people with special attention.
“Anemia is always seen as the major cause for iron deficiency because half of all anemia cases are caused by iron deficiency. To stem this tide, this administration decided that there must be food security through the promotion of objective to reduce malnutrition in children under five and increase investment in nutritious food production.”
The Spokesperson of the National House of Assembly, Mr. Benjamin Kalu said globally, we are faced with this difficulty pushed on us by COVID-19 which has also exposed a lot of gaps within the health sector.
He said Iron intake is a sustainable way of keeping our people healthy adding that information is power and we must therefore increase advocacy on the campaign.
“This is commendable and I want the Federal Ministry of health and education to buy into this especially as it concerns the school feeding programme. The foods giving to the children must contain iron; who is looking at those foods to make sure the right nutrients are there?
It is a question the various agencies in charge of this age bracket (School age) must answer.
“We will like the FG to look into ensuring that this iron deficiency is taken care of in ongoing school feeding programme. We are glad that the private sector has initiated this move and I want to raise a call to the Ministry of Information and the Natiinal Orientation Agency to buy into it because the more the people are educated about where to find this almighty iron, they will appreciate that it is acceptable to them.”
The Minister, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Anthonia Ekpa applauded Nestle for what they have has done in Nigeria While saying that the ministry has been on the campaign to improve nutrition for women and children.
“We have a major role in improving nutrition and child development. I am proud to say that we have a Minister who has been vibrant in promoting the need for Nigerian families especially women to be given food.”
