By Luka Yelmi, Bauchi
A grassroots volunteer network backed by the Bauchi State Government, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the United States Government is reversing the tide of child malnutrition in Darazo Local Government Area.
The army of community volunteers, operating under the Mama2Mama and Fathers for Good Health initiatives, is closing critical gaps in maternal and child healthcare through house-to-house tracking of pregnant women, nutrition education, and referral of malnourished children for lifesaving treatment.
The groups operate under the Under-5 Aisha Isah Yuguda Hospital, Darazo, and are supported by the State Government and UNICEF. Volunteers track defaulters of antenatal care and immunization, sensitize families on optimal feeding, and work at the hospital's Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) centre where children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) receive Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).
"Honestly speaking, Mama2Mama and Fathers for Good Health are working. I have seen their impact because I am supervising them. They are closing the gap in terms of the fight against malnutrition," said Adamu Wakili Hamza, Community Engagement Focal Person for Darazo West.
Maimuna Wakili, leader of Mama2Mama in Darazo, said community acceptance has been key to the success.
"The level of acceptance by the community is overwhelming. As a result, cases of malnutrition have drastically reduced in our community," she said.
For Wada Wanzam Bulamari of Darazo East, who leads the Fathers for Good Health, the work follows intensive preparation.
Members, he said, underwent three-day training to identify danger signs such as stunted growth, sudden weight loss and unhealthy skin, and to ensure prompt referral to health facilities. Traditional leaders and village heads now serve as allies, directing mothers to seek guidance from the volunteers.
The Darazo model is anchored on a state-wide scale-up funded by a United States Government grant and implemented with UNICEF support.
Philomena Irene, Nutrition Specialist at the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, said the grant has enabled the training of over 6,000 Mama2Mama and Fathers for Good Health volunteers and more than 50 health workers on prevention and management of malnutrition.
"We have been able to provide support to over 40,000 children with Small Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplement (SQ-LNS) for the prevention of malnutrition from 6 to 23 months," she said.
Irene added that the partnership has also strengthened Bauchi's health logistics and information systems, revitalized Local Government Food and Nutrition Committees, and pushed LGAs to release counterpart funds for nutrition commodities, including RUTF and Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) for pregnant women.
She described the first 1,000 days, from conception to a child's second birthday, as the most critical window for intervention.
"It is the period when 75 percent of brain development occurs. If we miss this period, children may not be able to compete among their peers and may be prone to diseases. It is the period with the greatest return on investment," Irene said.
The Bauchi State Government said it is moving to close the supply gap for therapeutic foods.
Dr. Rilwanu Muhammad, Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board, disclosed that the government has distributed 480,000 cartons of RUTF and approved N500 million for the procurement of RUTF and MMS.
"We are waiting for the release of the money so that UNICEF will also pay another N500 million as a matching grant to procure these items. That is why we are trying to close the gap," Dr. Muhammad said.
According to him, the state's strategy rests on 20 volunteers per ward who promote six months exclusive breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding, and early referral, with transport stipends to reach hard-to-reach Fulani settlements to promote antenatal care, facility delivery and immunization.
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