Arts and Life
IDG: NGO decries high cases of malnutrition, early girl marriage, seeks help in Benue
By David Odama
A Non Governmental Organization, NGO, Focused Parenting and Youths Initiative for Development, (FoPaYID), has decried alarming rate of malnutrition, early girl marriage in Benue State.
The Organization have also raised an alarm over high number of malnourished children and early marriage among young girls in Akile Community, Makurdi Local Government Area, of Benue state.
The Executive Director FoPaYID, Mrs Sarah Ingbian, raised the alarm in Makurdi during an advocacy visit to Pure Biotech Company, where she requested for support towards the health of women and children in the community.
The visit was part of activities of the organization to mark the 2024 International Day for the Girl Child, to raise awareness and garner support to address the numerous health, social and cultural challenges facing young women, girls and children in the community.
She lamented a situation where a child of two years was found to be weighing 7kg when “a child of six months is supposed to double her birth weight and the same child had Mid Upper Arm Circumference of 11 CM, showing a clear indication of severe and acute malnutrition.
“When we have such cases, we are supposed to refer them to the hospital but these people don’t have money to go to the hospital.”
Ingbian, a Retired Assistant Director of Nursing Service at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, who informed that the community has no functional health facility said “Women, especially young girls, in this community do not have access to good health care services because they don’t have money or someone to give them money to go to the hospital. Many women and children die as a result of things that could be prevented.
“A few days ago, a young girl in her 20s died of childbirth due to inadequate care. The youths in this community also have their list of challenges ranging from inability to complete secondary school, especially the girls, and lack of people to sponsor them to higher institutions.
“They turn to early marriage and start raising families that increase responsibilities for larger families. “It is on this account that we are here to appeal to your institution to lend a helping hand in registering at least 15 pregnant women and 15 vulnerable children in the immediate community under individual insurance Health Scheme for them to be treated in the hospital free of charge.”
While appealing to the company to consider granting scholarship to youths in the community to attend a health training institution so that they can contribute to the healthcare of the people in the community, Mrs Ingbian appreciated the company for their initial interventions in the area of water and power saying such gestures would not be forgotten.
She lamented that most families overburdened with the task of looking after many dependent relatives in an area with limited farmland and none for many others resulting to high level of malnutrition among children and young girls.
She further urged them to support FoPaYID in anyway possible to address the health needs of women and children in the community.
Responding, the Manager of Pure Biotech Company, Abdulkadair Muhammed and the Legal Officer, Barr Denen Tur, appreciated the delegation for their concerns for the health of the community especially the girl child.
Muhammed said as part of its Social Corporate Responsibility, (CSR) the Organization has intervened in several areas to impact positively on the lives of members of the community especially in providing water and light for them.
He promised that they would relay the request to the higher management authorities for prompt action.