From Ali Galadima, Bauchi
The Speaker Bauchi State House of Assembly (BAHA), Rt.Hon. Abubakar Suleiman has assured coalition of Civil Society Organization on the resolved to the Assembly willingness to support, promotes all programs to stop Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in Bauchi State.
The Speaker made this while addressing Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the Media who paid him an advocacy visit to his office, seeking for Legislator’s support in seeing that the downward review of State’s 2020 budget does not affect funds appropriated for managing Severe Malnutrition in the State.
Suleiman said that the state legislators are very much aware of the gravity of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), describing it as another child killer disease that needs to be nip in the bud.
According to him, “The State legislators came face to face with the reality on SAM when we were presented with it’s status in Bauchi State, at a retreat organized for some members by International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH) and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC) some few months ago.
He said, “That retreat was an eye opener for us on the gravity of SAM and has galvanized us into paying attention to any issue related to Malnutrition in Bauchi State.
He explained that, “Rest assured that BAHA will not tamper with funds allocated to that component of children health and any other Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health for that matter”.
The speaker also commended the untiring efforts of the CSOs, Media and their mother funders, ISMPH and CISLAC for their doggedness in bringing the issues of SAM on the front burner of national discourse, describing the services they render as, “humanitarian”.
Earlier in her advocacy message on behalf of the team, Mrs. Bulak Afsa of NTA said the coalition is particularly concern on the possibility of reduction in the earlier appropriated funds meant for Malnutrition component in the proposed revised 2020 budget.
Afsa, who acknowledged the committed and accommodating disposition of the Speaker and his legislators towards MNCHN, also reiterated the resolve of Coalition in partnering with the State Legislators towards addressing the challenges bordering on SAM and other public health issues in the State.
Our correspondent reports that the advocacy visit was prompted by the slash in the Bauchi State 2020 Budget as a result of the economic downturn arising from Covid 19 global pandemic, forcing Government at both Federal and State levels to prioritize it’s needs inline with the realities of the trying period.
