Coalition calls for integration of nutrition sensitive interventions in COVID-19

A coalition, Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has called for integration of Nutrition Specific and Nutrition Sensitive interventions in Nigeria’s COVID-19 response by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the pandemic.

It also advocated implementation of social protection measures for the poor and most marginalised’ including refugees and Internally Displaced Persons. 

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, Executive Secretary of CS-SUNN, Beatrice Eluaka observed that the poor and most marginalised are more vulnerable to COVID-19, and must be supported to protect themselves from the virus.

She urged the PTF to employ a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral approach towards combating the pandemic, with focus on improving the nutritional status of Nigerians, especially the vulnerable members of the society.

Eluaka commended the Federal Government for coming up with preventive, containment and recovery measures, since the outbreak of the virus in the country. 

She said: “The National Centre for Disease Control is the Presidential Task force on COVID-19, the Federal Ministry of Health and all relevant bodies and agencies have, so far, worked out and are implementing a National Response Strategy to tackle the menace. This has seen Nigeria achieve some positive results in the containment of the virus; the successful treatment and recovery of 197 patients in the country.”

Eluaka insisted that governments, businesses, civil society and international agencies need to take urgent and coordinated action to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic turning into global food and humanitarian crisis.

CS-SUNN advises that in the rush to stall the spread of COVID-19, Nigeria should consider the disastrous increases in malnutrition, in both the immediate and long terms.