...provides Vitamin A supplement, de-worms children
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is providing free Vitamin A supplement for children between 6-59 months and de-worming those within 12-59 months.
The Secretary, FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS), Malam Adamu Bappah, said this while inaugurating the second round of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) in the territory on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to Bappah, within the 5-day programme, mothers are expected to access services offered by the secretariat, including routine immunisation against preventable diseases for children 0-11 months.
Other services are growth monitoring and promotion, food demonstration, nutrition screening of children 6-59 months, birth registration and ante-natal care for pregnant women.
He said no fewer than 900,000 children in the territory were set to enjoy free health facilities from the secretariat.
The MNCHW is a week set aside to deliver a package of key maternal, newborn and child survival interventions, aimed at reducing maternal, neonatal and child mortalities.
Bappah, represented by the Director of Administration and Finance (DAF) of the Secretariat, Mr Musa Abdulraheem, said it was the second phase of the FCT Nov/Dec 2018 MNHCW.
Bappah explained that emphasis had shifted from standalone vertical campaigns to a more integrated approach.
This, he said, exposed caregivers and children to key interventions that improved health status and enabled them thrive through both the existing health system and outreach strategy.
“Every single day, Nigeria loses about 2,300 under-five children and 145 women of child bearing age. This makes the country the second largest contributor to the under-five and maternal mortalities in the world.
“I also want to use this opportunity to reiterate the urgency and need for all of us to promote this programme, for improvement in the health, wellbeing and survival of women and children in FCT.
“I rely on everyone to take up the role of MNCHW ambassador to encourage and mobilise women, caregivers and children to health facilities closest to them to avail themselves of the interventions provided during the week,’’ he stressed.
Earlier, the Acting Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Healthcare Development Board (PHCDB), Dr Ndaeyo Iwot, said personnel had already been deployed to nooks and crannies of the FCT for the exercise.
He noted that the event was to take off earlier, but was rescheduled for this week, due to the 2019 general elections, adding that the board hoped to perform more than it had done in the past. (NAN)