Parents commended for adhering to Child health week
SENANGA District Health Office has commended parents in the district for responding and participating effectively during the just ended Child Health Week.
District Health Director, Likambi Kambinda said all health centres received an overwhelming response and the community-based volunteers that were offering the services in villages also received many clients.
Dr Kambinda said the Ministry of Health is committed to providing quality health services as close to the family as possible and that requires strengthening community engagements in the district.
He said the District Health Office engaged the community by conducting door to door sensitisations and providing the health services closer to the people in various villages.
Dr Kambinda also noted that other sensitisations included focus group discussions that concentrated on informing parents on the importance of child health week. He said child health week is an opportunity to intensify on various health interventions for children to ensure that no child is left behind. Dr Kambinda also noted that the health team also took advantage of the week to provide health education to community members. He encouraged parents to take advantage of the child health week to access health services as the process aims at promoting healthy children and reduce on child mortality rates.
And speaking during a community engagement meeting at Liyayelo Village, Maternal and Child Health Coordinator, Micheal Muyenga called on community members to work together in ensuring that all pregnant women deliver from health facilities.
Mr. Muyenga stated that, it is saddening that reports from Liyayelo Village are that women avoid delivering from health centers despite several sensitisations by Community health volunteers.
Meanwhile, a community member, Nyambe Mwiya commended the district health office for providing the child health week services within their villages. Ms. Mwiya also expressed happiness for the health education that was provided during the exercise. Child Health week is conducted twice every year and in that period, children below the age of five are provided with Vitamin A supplements, routine immunizations, deworming, growth monitoring and other health services.