Health
AN NGO, FHI 360/Alive and Thrive, on Thursday, tasked the media on appropriate coverage of maternal, infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN) in the country.
Lagos State Coordinator of the NGO, Olawunmi Ajayi, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of its media roundtable, aimed at promoting MIYCN in the state.
Ajayi said that the media roundtable was part of the NGO’s ongoing initiatives to support the health and wellbeing of women and children in the country.
She said that the project’s goal was to enhance child health and development outcomes and save lives in Nigeria through a sustainable national programme.
According to her, the media need to consistently disseminate MIYCN’s messages to enable more mothers to practise recommended infant feeding by securing new financial resources for national nutrition programmes.
Ajayi also called on the media to disseminate the adoption and implementation of supportive laws, policies and tools at the national and state levels, with broader development as well as humanitarian and human rights agenda.
“The media should raise the visibility of nutrition as a foundation for child survival, health and development and as beneficial for maternal health.
“They are also expected to support advocacy efforts, aimed at securing new financial resources for national and state nutrition programme and supportive policies, and old government and stakeholders accountable on their commitment to MIYCN issues,” she said.
Ajayi added that the media continue to building a social movement in which breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding would become the norm and mothers and families empowered and supported for maternal, infant and young child feeding. (NAN)
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Tags: FHI 360/Alive and Thrive Olawunmi Ajayi
