By Becky Maina
The Gombe State Chapter of the Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has conducted a nutrition education session for pregnant women and nursing mothers at the Town Maternity Primary Health Care (PHC) center in Tudun Wada, Gombe.
The awareness program focused on improving maternal, infant, and young child nutrition through practical, evidence-based health guidance aimed at reducing undernutrition across local communities.
Speaking during the outreach, Gombe State Coordinator, Rebecca Caleb Maina emphasized the vital role of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of a child’s life, noting that breast milk provides all necessary nutrients for optimal growth and development.
She urged mothers to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and to continue alongside appropriate complementary feeding from six months onward.
Miss Maina also encouraged families to leverage locally available, affordable food items such as cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits, eggs, and fish to secure balanced diets for growing children and mothers.
She stressed that proper nutrition during the critical “first 1,000 days” window is essential to preventing stunting and long-term health complications.
Also speaking, CS-SUNN member Abigail Kolo highlighted the direct link between hygiene and nutritional health.
She cautioned that preventable infections often trigger severe malnutrition in young children.
Kolo advocated for strict adherence to basic sanitation practices, including regular handwashing with soap, safe food handling, clean water usage, and proper waste management to keep
families healthy.
The session was met with warmth, gratitude, and enthusiasm from the attending mothers, who expressed relief and appreciation for the practical guidance.
Many affirmed that they now feel empowered knowing they don’t need expensive imported items to give their children a healthy start
The initiative, as gathered by WorldClass247, is part of CS-SUNN Gombe’s sustained advocacy and community outreach framework designed to support state-level efforts in improving maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes.