Building Staff Capacity is our Priority - Commissioner of Health 

By Iloke, Egbe 

The Commissioner Cross River State Ministry of Health Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk has asserted that the priority of Government is the development of human resource by building their capabilities through periodic training and retraining to enhance the adaptability of Staff to current trends and technologies.

The Commissioner stated this while declaring open Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition Train the Trainers workshop held at Adsuits Hotels Ikot Effa off Parliamentary Calabar. The Commissioner affirmed that the strategy is to enable communities benefits from Government investments in critical sectors to better the lifestyles of Cross Riverians.

According to the Commissioner his presence at the event is a testament of the commitment of His Excellency Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu to the improvement of the living standards of Cross Riverians. He acknowledged that nutrition plays a vital role in the health of children, stating that malnutrition is a significant global challenge with 2 million children in Nigeria suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

In his words 23% of children the experience stauntiness and that the good news is that Government is ready to reposition the State as the healthiest people in Nigeria. That in addition to what the State has done through budget provisions and release including the creation of nutrition developments in many line Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Government will provide the needed support to maternal Young infant and child nutrition.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary Primary Healthcare Developer Agency Dr. Etim Ayi said the importance of nutrition cannot be over emphasize while quoting UNICEF that the first 1000 days of life from conception is very key and deserves protection as any complications that occurs within that period may not be easily reversed.

Dr. Ayi expressed excitement on the training, the caliber of persons in attendance and the interest demonstrated by participants and the team of resource persons while tagging participants as nutrition Ambassadors. Dr. Ayi expressed the believe that with train the trainers workshop, participants will help change the nutrition data, status and indices in Cross River State. 

The 8 day train the trainers workshop was jointly organized by the World Bank, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, CRS Ministry of Health and had participants from line MDAs, the 18 Local Government in the State, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, the Media, NAFDAC and members of the States Technical Working Group on nutrition.

The event featured breakaway session, questions and answers, goodwill messages, distribution of workshop materials, group photograph and a vote of thanks by Dr Winifred Ogar the state nutrition Officer.