Dangote Foundation commits over N50million to procure RUTF to tackle malnutrition in Kano

By Muhammad Bashir

Worried by the malnutrition indices in Kano State, the Aliko Dangote Foundation on Wednesday said it is committing over N50 million to procure Ready To Use Therapeutic Food, RUTF for treatment of children with Severe Acute Malnutrition, SAM in the state.

The Managing Director of the Foundation, Zouera Yusufu announced this while signing a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with the state government on the foundation’s nutrition intervention, Aliko Dangote Foundation Integrated Nutrition, ADFIN project.

Yusufu said the Ready To Use Therapeutic Food, RUTF will be produced by a company based in Kano and extended to each household of the vulnerable children.

According to her, “The primary focus of Aliko Dangote Foundation is nutrition which rallies around interventions on health, education and empowerment.

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“Based on this, we are now making unprecedented investment to improve nutrition in our country.

“We intend to treat the children with Severe Acute Malnutrition, SAM using RUTF which was produced right here in Kano by a sister company.

“We will reach each household of these children with food nutrition.

“To do this, we have trained a first cohort of Community Active Mobilizers, CAM who will help identify the vulnerable children and refer them for treatment,” Yusufu said.

She added that, “The ADFIN programme was designed to start in Kano State with plans to extend to 13 Northern states. The programme was to take off in 13 out of the 44 LGAs in Kano State.

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“We need to end this scourge of malnutrition and the signing of this MoU takes us close to achieving the goal.

“We however solicit for other partners with expertise to join hands with us to achieve a robust and sustainable solutions,” Yusufu however noted.

In a remark , the Kano State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa commended the business mogul, Aliko Dangote and his foundation for investing heavily towards improving the health and well-being of people of the state.

Dr. Tsanyawa however assured the foundation of its commitment and readiness to support towards achieving the desired goal of reversing the malnutrition indices of the state.