The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised concerns over child malnutrition in Ebonyi State, revealing that 32 per cent of children under five were stunted in 2024, according to the National Demographic and Health Survey.
Juliet Chiluwe, UNICEF Enugu Field Office Chief, made the disclosure during the official handover of Small Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS) to the Ebonyi State Government in Abakaliki, describing malnutrition as a serious public health challenge that requires urgent attention.
Chiluwe noted that the prevalence of stunting among children under five has steadily increased from 20.6 per cent in 2015 to 25 per cent in 2018, and now 32 per cent in 2024, underscoring the need for immediate intervention.
“These increasing rates underscore the urgency of scaling up evidence-based interventions like SQ-LNS, especially in priority states such as ours,” she said.
The SQ-LNS initiative is a high-impact nutrition programme designed to prevent stunting and micronutrient deficiencies among children aged six to 23 months, a critical window in the first 1,000 days of life.
The Ebonyi State Government contributed ₦150 million, matched by UNICEF, to procure and deliver 2,832 cartons of SQ-LNS for distribution across the state. Chiluwe commended the state government for its leadership and commitment, noting that Ebonyi’s efforts set an example for other sub-national governments in Nigeria.
Representing the governor, Deputy Governor Princess Patricia Obila pledged the state’s sustained efforts to eradicate child malnutrition.
“Today, we have come to flag off these facilities that we are taking charge of. It is a very good one because we all know any child that is malnourished will always have stunted growth. In the olden days they called it kwashiorkor, but with this intervention, I bet you, we are going to fight it to zero level,” Obila said.
She drew parallels with Ebonyi’s successful polio eradication campaign, stressing that community sensitisation and field engagement will be essential to achieving similar results.
“I will advise that the National Orientation Agency (NOA) should be part of this project to educate the people about balanced diets — the need to feed their children with foods containing nutrients like fat and oil, protein, and not just carbohydrates,” she added.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, also praised UNICEF for its ongoing support, highlighting the collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the organisation. He revealed that health workers and caregivers responsible for administering the supplements would begin training next week.
