The World Bank has
sensationally revealed that that 68 per cent of Nigerian children under the age
of 5 are anemic, while 50 per cent of women between the ages of 15-49 years
also suffer anemia.
The
revelation was made at the presentation
of the new, improved Golden Morn, a maize and soya cereal meal by Nestle.
The company said
the product is now fortified with GrainSmart. GrainSmart is a unique
blend of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B5,
Vitamin C, and Iron.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer
of Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Mr. Mauricio Alarcon, said the World Bank data on the
prevalence of anemia in Nigeria also shows that at least 50 percent of the
cases can be traced to iron deficiency.
Alazcon said in support of Federal
government’s efforts to reduce micronutrients deficiency among Nigerians,
“Nestlé has been nourishing Nigeria for over 58 years, delighting individuals
and families with high-quality nutritious food products.
“We keep working to make our portfolio even
healthier and tastier. For instance, with the addition of GRAINSMART, a serving
of the new Golden Morn provides 25 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance
(RDA) of Iron among other key micronutrients.”
Corroborating his views, the Head of Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Chris Isokpunwu who alerted on the nutrition situation in the country said: “When children have anemia it retards their growths, makes them vulnerable to diseases, impairs their capacity for learning and also exposes them to infections. Women who have high iron deficiency are exposed to risk during pregnancy, so the government has taken a number of steps to address that. One of such is the allocation of iron in flour which is stable among others.”
Isokpunwu, who also commended Nestlé for its contributions towards improving Nigeria’s health indices added: “In line with her purpose of ‘enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future’, Nestlé is working towards enabling healthier and happier lives and helping the development of resilient and thriving communities, contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 3-Good Health and Wellbeing and 17 -Partnerships for the Goal).
Speaking at the occasion, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, represented by the Director, Federal Department of Agriculture, Mrs. Karima.
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