As Media Centre Against Child Malnutrition MeCAM  efforts to address problems related to malnutrition and food insecurity in the country, a symposium was held recently on the vitality of strengthened media collaboration as a means to bridge the society awareness gap on the issue.

Malnutrition is a major problem in a Nigeria and MeCAM in collaboration with  Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network (SUN) are making efforts to improve nutrition status of the country.

Elaborating measures that need to be taken to eliminate malnutrition, health facilitators at the workshop say media intervention is necessary on promoting the first 1,000 days of a child’s life which is a critical window of opportunity for health and developmental stage.

Thus they urged the media  to sharpen  knowledge and skills that would empower them to report compellingly on nutritional issues, the Scaling Up Nutrition movement, the first 1000 days of life and their importance for lifelong nutrition and essential micronutrients to improve child nutrition.

They also stressed at the symposium that promotional works need to be implemented by the media to identify factors and consequences of malnutrition and necessity of breast feeding and the role of the media in creating awareness to assist in the effort to eradicating malnutrition in the country.

Speaking on , “Communicating Nutrition Messages to Stakeholders : Role of Media ,”  GAIN Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition ,  and SUN Business Network , coordinator , Uduak Igbeka , represented by Ibiso Ivy  King Harry
Pointed out that the media need to understand the whole gamut of malnutrition better and write constructive articles / reports about it .

She observed that the role of the journalists and the mass media is unique in influencing , investigating    , providing correct information and creating a positive attitude towards expected behavioural change in relation to health,  and malnutrition through innovative ideas, constructive criticism, reporting, supporting, writing, etc.

In his remarks , Prof. Babatunde Oguntona, Honourary Board of Trustees Member, MeCAM and past President Nutrition Society of Nigeria observed that the media has a critical role to play in making undernutrition a part of national public discourse and catalyzing political ownership adding that currently , there is a lack of professional media understanding of the issue and it receives uneven attention.

Therefore , he called for the reorientation of the media on nutritional issues adding that the media should encourage people to practice good nutritional habits

He said if Nigeria fails to invest in nutrition and tackle the current high malnutrition in the country, there would be more malnourished children soonest.

Dwelling on the topic , ” Nutrition , Early Child Growth and Development ” , the project director of CS – SUNN ,  Beatrice Eluaka represented by Sunday Okoro gave insight like a newborn breastfed within 1 hour of birth could cut all neonatal mortality by 22 percent, exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life can cut by about 15 percent the number of child deaths.

He also  observed that there is need for separate budget for nutrition ,   formulation of the realisable nutrition policy and overall long term planning to improve production and supplies of food and ensure its equitable distribution .

Journalists from various media institutions and stakeholders attended the symposium.