The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has sought partnership with the Plateau State Primary Health Care Board (PSPHCB) to strengthen nutrition services for conflict-affected and displaced communities in the state.
The organisation made the request during an advocacy visit to the Board as part of preparations for the implementation of its Rapid Assistance for People Impacted by Disaster (RAPID) project.
The RAPID project, scheduled to run from September 2026 to June 2027, is expected to reach approximately 57,000 conflict-affected and displaced persons across eight Local Government Areas in Benue and Plateau States.
In Plateau State, the intervention will cover Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Riyom Local Government Areas.
CRS said the project will be implemented in partnership with the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Jos, and the Foundation for Justice, Development and Peace (FJDP), Makurdi.
The organisation explained that it plans to work through Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the four benefiting LGAs to deliver nutrition interventions through four key approaches.
These include counselling on exclusive breastfeeding, production of Tom Brown for children aged 6 to 59 months, establishment of community support groups for Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN), and referral of children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) to Outpatient Therapeutic Centres for appropriate treatment.
Receiving the CRS delegation, the Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Raymond Juryit, alongside members of the Board’s management team, commended CRS for the intervention.
Dr. Juryit noted that the project would complement the state’s ongoing efforts to address malnutrition, particularly among internally displaced persons, pregnant and lactating women, and children under five.
He assured the delegation of the Board’s support and expressed its readiness to collaborate with CRS and its implementing partners to ensure the successful delivery of the intervention across the four LGAs.
The partnership is expected to strengthen community-level access to essential nutrition services and improve support for vulnerable households affected by conflict and displacement in Plateau State.
