Healthy Living: Mrs. Soludo Restocks Children’s Pap Banks Across Anambra

By Mary Obi

The wife of the governor of Anambra State and founder of the non-governmental crusade, Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo, has conducted another phase of restocking of the Nonye’s Healthy Pap Banks in all twenty-one local government areas of the state.

During an official ceremony in Awka to mark this phase of the programme, the governor’s wife commended local health workers, including local government health officers and officers in charge across the 326 wards in the state, for their efforts in distributing and monitoring the programme.

Since the programme began in August 2024, over 12,000 thousand packs of the pap have been produced and distributed, with a recovery rate of over 5 percent, significantly reducing the rate of child malnutrition in Anambra State.

Mrs. Soludo urged health workers to expand their reach to cover more children, emphasizing that achieving a comprehensive result requires reaching all children in need of the supplement.

Dr. Afam Obidike, Commissioner for Health and Coordinator of Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative in Anambra State, credited the quick recovery of children who have taken the pap to its high nutritional value and special production processes.

The Anambra State Coordinator of the World Health Organization, Dr. Mohammed Bonos, and the traditional ruler of Aguleri, Igwe Michael Idigo, praised the product for its nutritional benefits, emphasizing the importance of good nutrition for overall health.

Dr. Rose Amasiani, the State Nutrition Officer, highlighted the fortified and nutritious nature of the pap, noting that its locally sourced organic ingredients have the potential to address nutritional deficiencies in both children and adults.

Mrs. Jane Umeugo, a dietician at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in Nnewi, reported that malnourished children in the hospital’s paediatrics section were discharged within five days of taking the supplement, a significant improvement compared to traditional recovery times.

This marks the fourth phase of distribution since the introduction of the natural formula to Anambra State last year.