fhi360 Project Trains 600 Health Workers, Reaches 493,000 People In Bauchi CV 

The Alive & Thrive fhi360 project has closed out its three-year Accelerating the Scale-up of Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (ASMIYCN) initiative in Bauchi State, with significant achievements in health worker training, community outreach, and service delivery.

Speaking during the closing ceremony and dissemination of the Bauchi State Essential Medicine Lists and MMS Project, the State Coordinator, Mr. Chidiebere Asimobi, said the project made notable progress in strengthening maternal, infant, and young child nutrition services across the state.

According to him, a total of 174 health workers and 57 personnel from the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Board (BSPHCB) and Local Government Health Authorities (LGHAs) were trained on supportive supervision for primary health care facilities. In addition, 94 LGHA staff and 323 community volunteers were trained on community demand creation and awareness for maternal and child nutrition services in 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

Asimobi further disclosed that the project distributed over 50,000 Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials, anthropometry equipment, and NeoNatalie kits to support service delivery in health facilities. It also facilitated the integration of nutrition services into antenatal care, postnatal care, and routine immunization programs.

In an effort to improve health data reporting, the project donated 50 smartphones configured with mobile DHIS2 to primary health centers in six LGAs. Similarly, 45 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) were trained on anemia prevention and maternal nutrition service tracking.

The community engagement component of the project reached 493,799 persons, including 78,309 adolescent girls, 68,293 women, and 151,737 men, through house-to-house campaigns and other demand creation activities.

“The success recorded by this project reflects the importance of community-based engagement in improving maternal and child health outcomes,” Asimobi said.

In his remarks, the state commissioner of Health Dr Sani Muhammad Dambam said the state government has approved the release of ₦300 million as counterpart funding to tackle severe acute malnutrition among children under the age of five across the state.

He explained that Bauchi has benefitted greatly from the three-year Alive & Thrive fhi360 project, which supported maternal, infant, and young child nutrition.

On his part, the Country Representative of Alive & Thrive fhi360, Dr. Victor Ogbodo, lauded the Bauchi government for its collaboration.

Represented by Dr. James Oloyede, he noted, “As a release, in closing, another one is about to open,” stressing that the project enjoyed full cooperation in the state.

Delivering a keynote address, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, stressed the link between nutrition and development. “Maternal and child nutrition is a cornerstone of human capital development. When women are healthy and adequately nourished during pregnancy, saying we lay the foundation for a healthier, stronger, and more productive society,” he stated.

He commended Alive & Thrive-FHI360 and their partners for supporting women and children, noting that thousands of pregnant women accessed multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) which helped reduce maternal anaemia, low birthweight, and other complications.

The Alive & Thrive project was implemented by fhi360 in collaboration with the Bauchi State Government and other partners.