Juliet Chiluwe, Chief, UNICEF Enugu Field Office, has warned healthcare workers responsible for administering nutrition supplements to children in various healthcare facilities across Enugu State against diversion.

The UNICEF chief gave the warning on Friday in Enugu at the end of a three-day training workshop of frontline health workers drawn from the 17 local government areas of the state.

The workshop was organised by the Enugu State Primary HealthCare Development Agency (ESPHCDA), the State Ministry of Health in collaboration with the UNICEF Enugu field office.

The health workers were trained on the “small quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS), MMS and MUAC screening.”

Ms Chiluwe thanked the Peter Mbah-led administration for its political will in providing funds through its “health care provision fund” initiative.

She said that a survey conducted across the state showed that Enugu had high levels of stunting among children due to lack of nutrients.

She urged healthcare workers to administer the supplements strictly to children.

“I don’t want to find these supplements in public places; it is strictly meant for children free of charge,” she said.

The UNICEF boss said a monitoring team would be going around all the facilities to ensure that the supplements were properly administered to children.

Speaking, Chinelo Nnadi, the representative of the Executive Secretary (ES), ESPHCDA, Ifeyinwa Ani-Ocheku, commended UNICEF for collaborating with the agency and the state government in procuring the nutrition supplements.

She advised the healthcare workers to apply the skills imparted to them to administer the nutrition supplements appropriately to children in their facilities.

Ms Nnadi, who is the director of Disease Control and Immunisation in the agency, urged women in the state to take advantage of the supplements to improve the nutrition of their children.

According to her, the supplements will be administered on children aged six to 23 months, adding that Enugu State was among the first states in Nigeria to procure the supplements.

“The supplement is for healthy children; it is to improve their immune system.

“When a child takes this supplement, his nutritional status will improve,” she said.

Also speaking, the lead resource person, Ada Ezeogu, commended the trainees for their dedication and commitment during the three-day event.

“I want to commend trainees for your dedication, commitment and cooperation throughout the training.

“You have proved that you are the frontline soldiers in this project; I have confidence that you will make us proud,” she said.

Responding on behalf of the trainees, Ifeyinwa Ezeoha, the Nutrition Officer, Igboeze South Local Government Area, thanked the organisers of the training for the knowledge gained.

She urged her colleagues not to divert the supplements in the interest of the children of the state.

She promised that they would administer the supplements judiciously to deserving children across the state to aid their growth and well-being.

(NAN)