Nestlé Nigeria Wednesday launched its ‘Live Strong with Iron’ campaign to mark the 2021 World Health Day.
This was part of the company’s activities to address the challenge of iron deficiency in Nigeria.
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Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Victoria Uwadoka, said the company was in partnership with stakeholders from the Federal Ministries of Health and Women Affairs to get the information down to the grassroots through community advocacy.
“There are lots of iron rich food such as sweet potato, ugwu leaves, oranges and others that can easily be gotten without necessarily spending much.
“We have most of the vegetables needed to boost iron in our backyards. We also advocate on how to prepare these vegetables so that they would not lose their nutrients,” she said.
The spokesman the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, reiterated the commitment of the house to partnering with Nestle Nigeria Plc in the campaign for adequate iron supplement to boost health living of Nigerians.
The lawmaker commended the company’s efforts towards creating awareness on the importance of iron for healthy living.
He said: “We must begin to look into the school feeding programme to know how much of iron rich food is giving to the children. What is the quantity of iron in the food? Who is checking the food given to these children and others?”
The Minister of Agriculture, Sabo Nanono, represented by Mrs. Karima Babangida, said the campaign would help the vulnerable, nursing mothers and children “because severe anemia contributes to 50,000 maternal mortalities.”