Sokoto Govt Allocates 15% Of 2024 Budget To End Malnutrition

Sokoto State government has allocated 15 percent of its 2024 budget for the fight against malnutrition in the state.

VerseNews reports that this was disclosed by the deputy Governor of the state, Engineer Idris Gobir, during the World NOMA day celebration organized by the Medicine San Frontier In collaboration with the Ministry of Health on Saturday.

The state proposed N270.1bn budget for 2024 fiscal year.

“We are worried by the alarming rate of malnutrition in the state and our government is committed to reverse this ugly trend.”

Gobir, however, commended MSF for supporting the state to treat and rehabilitate malnourished and Noma infected children.

Earlier, the Project Coordinator of MSF, John Canty, linked Noma disease to acute malnutrition which he said needs to be tackled as the first step toward its prevention and eradication.

He also stressed the need for parents to accept routine immunization, just as he decried stigmatization against survivors of Noma disease in our societies.

The MSF Medical Team Leader, Dr. Samuel Joseph, said they have conducted 2,233 both major and minor surgeries on Noma patients in the state this year.

He also said that 1,782 severely malnourished children were treated in the period under review.

He frowned at late presentation of victims for treatment, saying Noma patient could die few weeks after contacting the disease if not attended to.