By Philip Yatai

A global nutrition initiative, Alive & Thrive (A&T), in collaboration with Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board (SPHCB) has begun Training of Trainers (ToT) on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MICYN).

The Zonal Coordinator of the organisation, Mrs Sarah Kwasu, said at the opening of the three-day training in Kaduna on Tuesday, that the training was under A&T Accelerating the Scale of MICYN project.

Kwasu said that the project was being implemented in seven focal states, namely Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Borno, Bauchi, Yobe and Lagos.

She added that the project works through the SPHCB to strengthen local capacities to improve the delivery of maternal nutrition interventions.

She explained that the ToT practical skills based on MICYN training module was earlier conducted for Team Leads of the seven implementing states.

According to her, the training forms a core component of A&T capacity building project.

“It is expected that the practical MIYCN skills will be stepped down to health workers across the seven A&T intervention States.”

She said that the A & T Team in Kaduna was stepping down the training to select health workers in various health facilities in six implementing LGAs.

She identified the LGAS as Kaduna South, Chikun, Kudan, Makarfi, Kachia and Kagarko across the three senatorial districts.

The zonal coordinator said that a health facility assessment has been conducted across 86 health facilities in the six LGA, adding that two health workers each from the 86 facilities would be trained.

She said that the first batch of the trainees were health workers drawn from the 14 health facilities mapped by Carelink Resource Foundation (CRF) with support from A&T and SPHCB.

She said that the health workers, two from each of the 14 health facilities, were being trained on Interpersonal CommunicationSskills on MIYCN.

She said that the objective of the training was to equip the trainers with specific knowledge and skills set to plan and deliver practical training skills to trainers at different levels and front-line healthcare providers.

She added that the training was also to help participants understand the principles of the practical skills orientation with emphasis on key messages, skills and practices designed to fill the gaps in current approaches.

“It was also organised to get participants acquainted with the use of A&T MIYCN IPC implementation manual,” she said.

“In supporting the health system strengthening, it is key to build the capacities of health service providers on MIYCN service delivery.

“A&T will continue to prioritize key approaches to human capacity development such as in-service training, to support MIYCN service delivery at the health facilities.

The State Nutrition Officer, Mrs Ramatu Haruna, Commended A&T for supporting Kaduna state in ensuring that every mother, infant and young child is well nourished.

Haruna said that training of the health workers was critical in ensuring that nutrition begins from conception to avoid a situation where a malnourished mother gives birth to a malnourished child.

“People need to know that if a mother is malnourished, she will give birth to a malnourished child.

“As such, we all have a responsibility in ensuring that everyone in Kaduna state is well nourished so that we will have a healthy society.

“This we can achieve with early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding after six month and continue breastfeeding for up to two years.

“The training will equip you with the skills to educate mothers on how to be well-nourished, give birth to a nourished child and ensure optimal MICYN practices,” she said. (NAN)