Progress As Ministry, UNICEF Celebrate Child Health Week In Rivers

The Rivers State Ministry of Health in collaboration with United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (A field Zone) flagged off the Child Health Week on Saturday May 22, 2010 at Bunu Nonwa in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The sensitisation exercise took off with a rally from Nonwa Market square involving other villages in the local government Kpite, Kira, Tua Tua, Koroma and others.

An intensive campaign was carried out on maternal, new born and child health eradication of polio in Nigeria, immunisation of women of child bearing age (15-49) years.

Basic message advised adn encouraged women to space for at least two years before getting another baby, and that every child needs immunisation to protect them against diseases that growth disability or death. For example, every child bearing woman needs to be protected against Tetanus.

The message further revealed that a child with diarrhea needs to drink plenty of breast milk, fruit juice or oral dehydration salt (ORS).

Delivering a speech on behalf of the Health Commissioner, the Director of Primary Healthcare, Dr. Akuro Okujagu intimated the crowd that safe motherhood day reflected the degree of respect and regard for women and children right in the society which he declared as an annual event celebrated world-wide every May 22.

He also said that more than 75 per cent population of the state live in the rural communities and one of the ways of reaching out to them is through sensitisation programme organised on safe motherhood celebration like this.

Emphatically, Dr. Okujagu contended that safe motherhood will be understood and embraced by the people. Packages of life saving health services like focused ANC clean and safe deliveries, new born care, post natal care, family planning, immunisation, vitamin A administration, de-worming exercise, breast feeding and complementary breast feeding, personal and environmental hygiene etc. all these are with the ultimate objective to achieve the vision of safe motherhood.

Finally, Dr. Akuro Okujagu said that no woman going through pregnancy and child birth should suffer any injury or loose her life or that of the baby. “That is why this year’s Motherhood Day Celebration started with a rally, it is indeed special.” More lives are touched in many ways leading to a happy and healthy living subsequently reducing marternal and under five mortality by 75% and 66% respectively by 2015. This is in line with the 4th/5th MGDs and everyone is encouraged to embrace the various activities.

In his contribution UNICEF polio representative, Mr. Stan Osum lamented the increasing rate of infant and maternal mortalities in recent years in Nigeria. He regretted that most children are now vulnerable to disease while one in every pregnant woman dies before child birth.

Osum stressed the need for constant vaccination of children against polio among  other related diseases such as measles, tuberculosis, yellow fever and others. Mothers should be vaccinated against tetanus infection and other diseases.

Ministry representative, Mr. Stan Osum also urged communities to join hands with health workers and voluntary organisations such as UNICEF to ensure the success of immunisation in their areas.

In his speech, the chairman of Tai Local Government, Mr. Barry Mpigi thanked the state Government for choosing Tai Local Government for the flag off ceremony. Mpigi was represented by his Vice chairman Sylva Ngbu, who warned against premature sex.

The event attracted peoples from all walks of  life. Tai Local Government featured traditional dances from the youths and other cultural display.

Monitoring the celebration of child health week safe motherhooh, maternal, new born, eradication of polio etc. UNICEF (A Field Zone), the Rivers State Co-ordinator with a team of journalists moved to seven local governments of Rivers State to see how they are fairing concerning the sensitisation programme of safe motherhood, child health week.

Local governments visited are Khana Local Government, Comprehensive Health Centre, Bori, where two hundred mothers were attended to and given mosquito nets as well as with Vitamin A. Awareness was much their challenge.

In Gokana Local Government, journalists went into their health centres women were also in attendance with their children. Attendance okay. They were also given deworming drugs, Vitamins A and mosquito nets before them moved to Okrika Local Government visited Ibaka Health Centre, where over one thousand children attended.

 Administration of Vitamin A, DPT, OPB, BCG measles, yellow fever tablets also took place.

According to Mrs. Ibifuro Elfrida a technician, the team moved to neigbouring communities to create awareness. Generally, the people around these community are poor, but the response was fair.

The team moved to Oyigbo Local Government and visited Comprehensive Health Centre, Oyigbo, met Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs. Ake Alice Amachree, who disclosed that one hundred and one children came and drugs were administered to them. One hundred mothers also came and were attended to. Response was good.

Challenges facing the health centre include the fact that the Health Centre was yet to be equipped. No funding. Only UNICEF and other agencies are helping out. At Asalga Local Government, Buguma, Sister Daba Peter Kio, Deputy Director Community Health Officer in charge of Buguma Health Centre intimated the team no proper arrangement was made as a result the Child Health Day took off late and no drugs for the programme because of some problems in the local government. Mothers and children were however seen without administration of drugs some mothers left as a result of the fact that there were no drugs.

Finally, the team arrived at Abua Odual Local Government and went to Ayama Health Centre.

Sister Elizatbeth Adoki who received the team and remarked that the turnout was great and mothers with their children were given necessary drugs de-worming tablets, mosquito nets Vitamin A etc.

She revealed that this year’s health week the women responded very well. Mrs. Adoki disclosed that she left to Omakwa, Amake and Otari villages in the local government to intimate the women on the need of safe motherhood and to space children in other to avoid loosing their life and that of babies.

The exercise was a success.

Julie Jumbo