From: Ruth Yarnap, Bauchi
The Executive Director, International Society of Media in Public Health, (ISMPH),Mrs Moji Makanjuola has enjoined health reporters and Civil Society Organizations working on Severe Acute Malnutrition(SAM) to employ budget tracking in tackling challenges in the fight to end malnutrition in Bauchi state.
Makanjuola gave the charge during a one day training on Budget tracking and utilisation to over 10 health reporters and CSOs working on SAM in Bauchi.
She said that budget tracking was an essential component in addressing SAM in the Northern part of the country.
The ED advised participants to regularly track budgets to fast track releases of allocations for improved health care services.
“The Journalists and the CSOs are specifically engaged in advocacy for release of budgetary allocations for the health sector particularly the ones for the fight against Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in children under five years who are dying for lack of attention,” she said.
She implored participants to make judicious use of the knowledge acquired during the training.
“We have a duty to secure the future of our innocent children by emphasising to Government at all levels, the need to make Nutrition a priority in their respective budgets.
“This can be achieved through consistent monitoring, reporting and holding people in positions of trust accountable.
She said: “I am optimistic the Budget tracking training will further equip you with additional skills in carrying out evidence based advocacy to policy makers, the legislature and other key stakeholders”.
Makanjoula revealed that ISMPH recently discovered that Nutrition has Zero budget in the Federal Government’s 2020 revised budget.
She also revealed that severe acute malnutrition was becoming a leading killer disease among under five children.
“We need to speak out on behalf of the vulnerable children and we can only do that when we are in tune with the nitty gritty of budgeting . I am sure the training will further improve our knowledge of budget trends and processes which will in turn add value to our campaign against Severe Acute Malnutrition”, she said.
According to her, the training sessions comprised of; Budget processes and analysis, Budget trends, Budget output, outcomes and impact, Comparing Budget to cost and Expenditure, Calculating Nominal Growth and Ratio, Use of chart for presentation, Monitoring Mechanisms among others
Also speaking, the program Manager of ISMPH, Mr. Solomon Dogo said with the training, participants would explore new skills that would enhance Budget tracking in the state.
Solomon Dogo further said that he hopes that the advocacy campaign around SAM will be done using the new knowledge acquired and reiterated ISMPH’s readiness to always support activities that are geared towards changing the narratives in the prevention, care and management of SAM.
Speaking also, a resource person at the training Mr. Kenneth Okoineme said that the training was to strengthen the capacity of the participants in what they already know and to also refresh their knowledge with some new economic concepts in budget analysis.
He added: “May I also suggest that in your advocacies and reportage towards prevention and management of SAM, you could also push for possible adoption of local alternatives to complement the conventional ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs)”.
