By AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
The Permanent Secretary, Kaduna State ministry of Health, Shehu Mohammed, has observed that men’s eating habit outside the the home in Northern Nigeria is seriously affecting the health of their families.
“Initially, men used to eat all the times with their families but of recent they have started developing eating outside the home leaving the wife and the children to eat whatever that is available,” he lamented.
Speaking in Kaduna when a coalition of faith based organization under the auspices of Interfaith Mediation Centre, Kaduna visited him in his office, the permanent secretary explained that for the family to eat qualitative food, men have to be educated to rescind from eating outside to the detriment of their families.
He noted, “Religious leaders have to help spread the message so that men will take up their normal responsibilities of feeding the family appropriately to reduce malnutrition among children in northern Nigeria.”
Shehu Mohammed explained that the ministry and the Medical Directors Manning the health centers were always in consultations of how best to address health related issues in the various communities in the state.
He added that the issue of drugs were being addressed with a view of making the commodity available and affordable to users in the state.
He thanked the interfaith organization for their concern and observation of health related issues in the state while assuring them of the state government’s commitment towards addressing any health issue especially malnutrition and other child related sickness.
He assured that the doors of the ministry were widely opened to people or groups with observations on the best way to move the state forward health wise, adding, “Governor El-Rufai is very conscious of what is happening and so also the commissioner and other staff of the ministry are working round the clock to ensure a healthy state.”
Earlier, the spokesman of the group, Andy Bako, had told the permanent secretary to consider and ensure routine immunization, family planning and timely release of the amount so allocated and treatment for childhood diarrheal diseases.
Others are to devise legal and administrative framework that would facilitate the implementation of state Coated Implementation Plan and Primary Health Care Under One Roof.
