PHCMB’s Health Week For Infants Begins, Today

Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board (PHCMB), says it has concluded plans to carry out the November round of the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) in the state.
The Director, Community Health, Dr Isaac Opurum made this known in his address at a media parley in Port Harcourt.
Opurum charged the participants to be proactive and help spread information to promote the success of the exercise.
On her part, the State Health Education Officer, Dr Doris Nria noted that the MNCHW was slated to hold between November 19 and 23rd, 2018 in all 23 local government areas of the state.
She also said that the MNCHW would run simultaneously with the Maternal Neoticetal Tetanus Elimination (MNTE) programme, adding however that MNTE would continue till November 25, 2018 in only 16 local government areas.
She noted that during the period a number of health interventions including immunisation, hand washing, nutrition, education, family planning services, counselling and testing, birth registration among others for the MCHW, for children between 0 and five years, while MNTE is for women of child bearing ages between 15 and 49 years.
She said tetanus elimination was key to human’s survival, whole expressing regret that Nigeria is among tetanus endemic nations.
The State Health Education officer stated that during that period health workers would go to schools, workshop places and health centre’s as well as special designated centres including private hospitals to administer the health commodities.
She advised parent’s caregivers, and religious leaders to allow eligible members of the society, access the interventions.
Also speaking the focal person, MNCHW in the state, Dr Emem JAja, stated that the MNCHW was necessary because the maternal infant mortality indices of the state was not encouraging and advised that members of the societies should avail themselves of the opportunity the exercise affords.
In his remarks the State Director, National Population Commission (NPopC), Mr Jumbobaraye Daka said children below 17 years would be registered and birth certificates issued while 18 years and above who do not have NPopC birth certificates would be given attestation certificates which he disclosed was a requirement for foreign travels.

By: Tonye Nria-Dappa & Orji Favour.