The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Bayelsà State Government, yesterday launch a $25 million Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint funded one-year project on prevention of malnutrition during the first 1,000 days of a life.

Funded by the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint, Bayelsà State Government and UNICEF,  the project seek to give every child born in the state a fighting chance not just to survive, but to grow, to learn, and to reach their full potential.

Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucre, in his key note address, at grant inception meeting with Local Government stakeholders on the Latter Day Saint Church ((LDSC) grant for prevention of malnutrition in the state, emphasized the importance of this initiative.

He added that the project is designed to address the critical period from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday, ensuring that children receive the necessary nutrition for healthy growth and development.

The project’s focus is to combat the high rates of stunting and anemia among children and pregnant women in Nigeria, with the goal of breaking the cycle of malnutrition and its long-term effects on individuals’ health and well-being.

She said, “We are here to launch a one-year project on prevention of malnutrition during the first 1,000 days of life. This gives every child born in this state a fighting chance not just to survive, but to grow, to learn, and to reach their full potential. That is what the first 1,000 days of life protect.

“From the moment a woman becomes pregnant to her child’s second birthday, a body and a brain are being built. What happens in that window cannot be undone later.

“The most recent national survey, the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS 2024), found that more than one in four children in Nigeria are stunted, and nearly half of pregnant women are anemic.

“That is exactly what this project, and the funding behind it, is built to change. Stunting means a child’s body, and often their brain, did not get enough good food early in life to grow as it should.

“These are children who will struggle more in school, and who may struggle later to earn a living, through no fault of their own.That is why today matters. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chose to fund this project in Bayelsa State for one year.

“The Bayelsa State Government added 140 million naira of its own, and UNICEF matched it with another 140 million. Government and donors, side by side, putting real money behind children who cannot yet speak for themselves.”

The State Commissioner of Health, Prof. Seiyefa  Brisibie, while thanking the donor and UNICEF, he said the gesture will go a long way in helping in the fight against malnutrition.

Represented Dr. Williams Appah, Executive Secretary Primary HealthCare Board, said that the malnutrition grant is for four Local Government Area of Bayelsa, appealing to donors to let the grant get to the children in the other local government areas.

He said that the Bayelsa government has equally contributed their quoter to ensure that stunted growth in children should be a thing of the past in Bayelsa.

According to him, before this time I and my colleagues have been assisting children with stunted growth, but with the grant from donors, and proper orientation malnutrition will be properly addressed.

The Chairman of Ogbia local government area, Hon. Golden Jeremiah, represented by the Secretary of the Council Amakuro Isaac, equally praised the church of latter day and UNICEF, while asking other donor agencies to emulate them.

He said the council will take full advantage of the project and monitor it appropriately to achieve the required results.