Barring any unforeseen development, seasoned public health and nutrition professionals will meet today, Thursday, November 26, 2020, to deliberate on the urgency ofa protein-centred national nutrition policy for Nigeria. The forum is the Protein Challenge Webinar Series 6 via zoom with the theme – The Case for a Protein-Centered National Nutrition Policy.
The session seeks to draw attention to the urgent need for increased attention to the place of protein in the growing, but fragmented, efforts to combat and curtail the rising incidence of protein deficiency and general malnutrition across the country.
The keynote address for the webinar will be delivered by Dr. Adepeju Adeniran, a clinical and public health physician. She is also the Co-founder and National Chair of the Nigerian Chapter of Women in Global Health, a multi-national movement of women in health care, devoted to global health improvement.
Other speakers on the panel include: Dr Omadeli Boyo, a public health practitioner and Medical Director, Pinecrest Specialist Hospital and Dr. Beatrice Oganah-Ikujenyo, Nutritionist and Chief Lecturer in the Department of Home Economics, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Oto/Ijanikin, Lagos.
The session will be moderated by Mrs. Louisa Olaniyi, a multiple award-winning Broadcast Journalist, Tech enthusiast, TV host, and Head of Presentation Unit at RAVETV.
Protein Challenge is the tag of the on-going Nigeria Protein Awareness Campaign, a Protein Pull media campaign that seeks to create awareness about the prevalence, status and impact of protein deficiency in Nigeria.
In Nigeria, protein deficiency poses not only a major health problem, but also an economic and a social burden. It is the most important risk factor for illness and death, with millions of pregnant women and young children particularly affected. The goal of the campaign is to encourage and indeed help Nigerians from all walks of life to embrace regular consumption of proteins.
The campaign aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – Zero Hunger – which seeks to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
