COVID-19: Group asks govt to regulate food prices, expand feeding programme

The Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) has urged the federal and state governments to stabilise the supply of food and regulate their prices to cushion effects of COVID-19 pandemic.

The society said to achieve this, the government should release stocks from grain reserves, grant tax relief on food items and scale-up support for smallholder farmers.

A statement issued on Sunday by Bartholomew Brai, NSN president, also recommended the expansion of the federal government’s school feeding programme and the use of community structures to reach the beneficiaries.

The society said with the pandemic mopping up financial resources, stakeholders should work together to effectively “promote adequate nutrition during the pandemic, and reduce post-COVID-19 burden and severity of malnutrition.”

“Presently, there is no evidence of transmission of the coronavirus through breastfeeding. The society hereby reiterates that breastmilk alone remains the safest and most nutritious meal for infants aged 0-6 months,” the statement added.

“Therefore, exclusive breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding up to the age of 24 months should be sustained.

“School-age children, especially those in public schools and benefit from existing school feeding programmes, may be particularly disadvantaged. Parents are hereby advised to provide an extra meal per day for these children where they are capable.

“Appropriate diet and lifestyle measures are important to sustain body immunity and promote health and well-being. In the case of food price hikes, individuals could select alternative foods to replace usual food items.

“Nutrition support is a component of health care and should be included in the management of COVID-19 patients with attention on energy, protein and fluid balance maintenance.

“Also, following high mortality among older people affected by COVID-19, adequate nutrition and management of secondary conditions/infection of the older population should be ensured.”

The group further called on governments to ensure the provision of personal protective equipment to all health workers and support staff to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“Government and other stakeholders should make efforts to provide food and nutrition support to indigent households, intensify community management of acute malnutrition and similar ongoing interventions, and scale up existing social protection programmes especially for the older population,” it added.