Maternal, newborn health week commences Monday

The FCT Primary Health Care Development Board (FCTPHCDB) will hold the 2017 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week between May 15 and 19.

The Executive Secretary, FCTPHCDB, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, revealed this at the opening of a social mobilisation workshop for maternal, newborn and child health week in the FCT with the theme ‘A Package of Care for a Healthy Family’.

He advised mothers to visit the nearest primary health care centre in their areas where they would be offered free deworming tablets for children 12-59 months, and vitamin A supplementation for children 6-59 months old.

The executive secretary added that there would be antenatal care for pregnant women, HIV counselling/testing, birth registration and family planning programmes during the week.

He said the programme was meant to ensure the welfare of women and children, adding that the FCT Administration was committed to the delivery of improved and quality health care for residents and solicited for the participation of everyone in all its activities.

Mohammed said the board would also see to the distribution of equipment to be used during the week to the area councils of the territory.

He called on residents to actively participate during the week in addition to avoiding sexual promiscuity; to wash their hands regularly, desist from open defecation, adopt good personal hygiene and do exclusive breastfeeding of children.