From Red to Green, One Health Worker’s Fight Against Child Malnutrition in Gombe

If you want to understand the story of child nutrition in Kwami, Gombe State, you start with Umar Mohammed.

At 36, there is little that unsettles him more than the thought of a child slipping into malnutrition. In this quiet town, his presence is felt, at the primary health centre, in the homes he visits, and in the silent relief of mothers whose children are now growing as they should.

Umar trained in Nutrition and Dietetics and later specialised further in Human Nutrition. But for him, this was never just about earning a qualification. It was personal.

“I chose nutrition because it is a rare field,” he says, fulfilment evident in his expression. “But it was also about what I was seeing around me.”

What he was seeing disturbed him. Children with thin arms. Dull eyes. Frequent illnesses. Growth that seemed to stall before it had even begun.

“When I see children not well nourished, I always feel it should not be so,” he says. “Many of the diseases affecting children are linked to malnutrition. When a child is not well fed, the immune system becomes weak. Then even small illnesses become serious.”

He is clear about one thing, malnutrition is not inevitable. It is preventable.

After graduating, Umar returned to serve as a nutrition officer at a primary health care centre in Kwami. For more than a decade, he has counselled pregnant women, weighed infants, wrapped MUAC tapes around tiny arms, and patiently explained how simple, balanced meals can change a child’s trajectory.

“I am delighted to do this work,” he says. “Helping mothers understand nutrition, from pregnancy to birth and through the early years of a child’s life is very important to me.”

Recently, that commitment was strengthened further. Umar was among more than 150 health workers trained by the Gombe State Government and UNICEF under the Progressing Action on Resilient Systems for Nutrition through Innovation and Partnership, PARSNIP, project, funded by the Government of the United Kingdom.

The initiative focuses on strengthening frontline health workers, equipping them not only to treat malnutrition, but to prevent it before it takes hold.

“Even though I was already a nutrition professional, the training strengthened my capacity,” Umar explains. “I understood more clearly that when it comes to children’s nutrition, prevention is key.”

The sessions reinforced what experience had already taught him, that nutrition begins long before a child is born. A well-nourished mother during pregnancy, six months of exclusive breastfeeding, and appropriate complementary feeding thereafter form the foundation of a healthy life. Yet too often, families seek help only when a child is already malnourished.

Now, Umar places even greater emphasis on prevention. He teaches mothers how to prepare balanced meals using foods they already have. He encourages early screening. He follows up consistently.

One intervention that excites him is the small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements distributed through the PARSNIP project. Across Gombe State, more than 30,000 cartons have reached families in need, helping enrich children’s meals during critical growth periods.

“My greatest joy,” Umar says, “is seeing improvement.”

In his hand, the MUAC tape remains one of the simplest yet most powerful tools he uses. Red signals danger. Yellow warns of risk. Green means a child is growing well.

“When I measure a child and see yellow,” he explains, “I take special interest. I follow up. I counsel the mother. And when that child moves to green, that is happiness.”

For Umar Mohammed, this work is not just a job. It is a responsibility. He believes the children of Kwami deserve more than survival. They deserve the chance to grow strong, to learn, and to one day contribute meaningfully to their community.

And for him, that journey begins with what is on their plate.