The Federal Government, in collaboration with the Cross River State Government, has commenced a two-day training for frontline health workers ahead of the rollout of the Food Bank Programme in the state.
The training, organised by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in collaboration with the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), is aimed at strengthening the capacity of health personnel to effectively screen and identify vulnerable beneficiaries.
The Director-General of CRSPHCDA, Dr Vivien Mesembe Otu, said the exercise was designed to equip selected health workers with the knowledge and practical skills required to support the successful implementation of the programme.
She explained that participants were drawn from Calabar Municipality, Ikom and Ogoja Local Government Areas, where they would receive training on beneficiary screening, identification of nutritional needs and the use of digital tools for programme implementation.
According to Otu, strengthening the capacity of health workers is critical to ensuring that the intervention reaches those who need it most.
The Director of Nutrition at the NPHCDA, Dr Victoria Adebiyi, said the Food Bank Programme is primarily targeted at addressing the nutritional needs of vulnerable groups, particularly malnourished children aged zero to six years, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
Adebiyi stressed that accurate screening and identification of beneficiaries would be essential to ensuring that the intervention achieves its intended objectives.
