Lagos State Health District IV, Nigerian Exchange Group initiate health project for physical, mental development of children
Lagos State Health District IV, Nigerian Exchange Group initiate health project for physical, mental development of children
The Lagos State Health District IV has promised its support for the nutrition intervention programme initiated by the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) at the district for children at their early stages.
The program code named BLOOM stands for ‘Bringing Life to Our Overlooked Minors’ is a project in Lagos State health District IV in conjunction with Health Emergency Initiative
In a statement by Oputeh Michael, Public Affairs Officer of Health District IV, the project aims at raising intervention strategies to prevent malnutrition, improve in linear growth for under five children’s lives rather than at gaining weight.
It also aims to avoiding excessive weight gain relative to height gain which is especially relevant after the first two years of children’s life.
It fosters proper nutrition in early childhood is crucial for for optimal physical and mental development and play’s a significant role in preventing chronic disease later in life of the children.
Speaking at the flag off the Permanent Secretary Lagos State Health District IV represented by the Director, Medical Services and Disease Control, Dr. Oludolapo Sotunde said that a well nourished child was the foundation of a healthy and prosperous society.
His words, “We can not overemphasize the significance of nutrition in the first five years of the life of the children, these formative years are crucial for a child’s brain body and immune system, which undergo rapid growth and development, unfortunately many children miss this vital opportunity due to malnutrition, poor feeding practices and lack of access in health education.The Permanent Secretary added that the BLOOM project focuses on conducting growth monitoring to track and support healthy child development, encouraging breastfeeding, up to two years, delivering health education to empower mothers and caregivers and promoting the use of appropriate locally available foods to prepare nutrient-dense complementary meals.
Also speaking at the outreach, Group Managing Director/CEO of NGX Group, Mr. Temi Popoola, represented by Group Chief Finance, Investment & Strategy Officer, Mr. Adebayo Opatade, said: “At NGX Group, we believe the growth of our markets must be matched by the growth of our communities.
“Project BLOOM is a clear demonstration of how we can leverage our platform, partnerships, and people to address urgent social challenges like child malnutrition.
“By empowering our employees to lead from the front, we are reinforcing our belief that sustainable impact is achieved when the private sector, government, and civil society work together with urgency and purpose. This is not charity, it is an investment in the future resilience of our society and economy”, he submitted.
The dignitaries at the flag off ceremony are Permanent Secretary, PS Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, Dr. Abiola Idowu, representative of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Chairman, Yaba Local Council Development Area and other representatives from the health sector.
