On Thursday 7^th and Friday, 8^th March 2024, the nutrition team of the Lagos Food Bank Initiative paid a visit to its partner Primary Health Centers (PHC) across Lagos. The purpose of the visit was to assess the effectiveness of the referred malnourished babies and vulnerable women to the Foodbank for food assistance and nutrition counselling.

The team was warmly received by the staff of each PHC visited. During the visit, it was observed that the referral process of eligible beneficiaries to the Food bank was well established at the PHCs visited and the contact staff were well-informed of the services provided by the NUMEPLAN program of the food bank and ensured eligible beneficiaries were referred appropriately.

In spite of the effectiveness of the referral process, it was also noticed that some of the beneficiaries were faced with the issue of transportation which was prominent among women residing in underserved areas.

The visit to the PHC provided insights into referral process for malnourished beneficiaries to the food bank, we plan to raise awareness about the NUMEPLAN program through communities served by the PHCs and also to extend our reach to other stakeholders to ensure that all malnourished babies get the support they need to thrive.

The team lead of LFBI’S nutrition team, Mopelola Oladapo appreciated the staffs of the PHCs visited for their commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of their community and stated that “the food bank looks forward to a continuous collaboration in the organizations shared mission to fight malnutrition in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole”.

The Nutritious Meal Plan Intervention for Vulnerable Mothers and Children, (NUMEPLAN) is a program that seeks to improve the nutrition of vulnerable mothers and children living in underserved communities in Lagos State. It pursues to ensure that they have sufficient intake of required nutrients and food for optimal growth, function and health. LFBI is partnered with 42 PHCs including LUTH. Its target beneficiaries include pregnant women and teenagers, lactating mothers and under-five children affected by malnutrition, especially under-nutrition.