GAIN, IPAN tackle malnutrition, stunted growth in Nigeria

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) have created the GAIN-IPAN Certificate Course in Laboratory Analysis of Food Micronutrients (LAoFM) with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

The course is aimed at tackling malnutrition and the associated stunted growth.

GAIN is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with governments, businesses, and civil society, it aims to transform food systems to deliver more nutritious food for all people, especially the most vulnerable.

The course will equip candidates with comprehensive understanding of the theory, principles, and applications of physicochemical and instrumental techniques applicable to the analysis of micronutrients in food.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, “Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, with a national prevalence rate of 32 per cent of children under five. An estimated two million children in Nigeria suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).”

Highlighting the strategic context of the programme, Country Director of GAIN in Nigeria, Dr. Michael Ojo, said: “The availability of analytical capacity development programmes is a required component for improving Nigeria’s nutrition profile.

“Therefore, GAIN has partnered with IPAN, to ensure food laboratory analysts can improve their skills and competence to guarantee the quality of their food testing and achieve better results.”