HKI, UNICEF made maternal, newborn and child health exercise In Benue a success – Nutritionist

From Aviashima Toom, makurdi

The maternal newborn and child Health Week is targeted at children aged between zero and eleven months as well as between six and fifty-nine months and pregnant women of child bearing age.

Meanwhile the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week, Which run in conjunction with other routine services aimed at reducing neonatal, maternal, child mortality and morbidity in the country, is an integrated approach that
involves week-long events organized nationwide to deliver a package of preventive and curative health intervention, services known to be highly cost-effective, yet result-oriented.

Chief State Nutrition Officer, Mrs Ejale Regina, while speaking on the exercise attributed the newborn child health week which activities were conducted in all the 23 local government of benue state to the support from The Helen Keller International (HKI), an international NGO and the UNICEF.

Mrs. Ejale said both bodies have continue support the program saying  adequate commodity of Vitamin A, Albendzole iron tablet and long lasting insecticide treated net have been distributed to the 23 LGAs for beneficiary of all children in Benue with emphasis to be made on reaching those most difficult areas.

Our correspondent who monitored the exercise in four different local governments in the state, such as Gwer west, Vandeikya, Konshisha and APA local governments respectively observed that responds in this local government areas recorded high turn out due to proper medical orientation received.

In konshisha, Vandeikya, Gwer west and Apa local government area our correspondent visited, turn out was very impressive as R I was seen distributed

The inspection officers were also seen preparing to advance to rural areas of the local governments to ensure that the exercise was achieved.

Reacting, the local nutrition officers konshisha and vandeikya, Beatrice Anger and Naanyi Mwuese, said even though the exercise has been very successful, they expressed dismay over the challenges face by the workers in carrying out the exercise.

According to them, unpaid salaries has been their obstacle, which they said was worrisome.

They however commended Donor-agencies for their support, most especially the improved immunization coverage of routine vaccine, free Vitamin A, Long lasting Insecticidal nets and other child-survival interventions.

Meanwhile, the local nutrition officer in Gwer west local government, Mrs Maria Gbakaa lamented lack of di-worming drugs as the problems militating the smooth operation of the exercise in the local government considering the rural nature of the terrain.

According to her, “our major challenge here is  Di-worming drugs that has not yet been sent to us. I have inform the inspection officer whom we are still expecting to bring the drugs so that we can begins to give the children”

Also In APA local government, the local government nutrition officer Mrs Ene Ada said they ran short of Vitamin A due to large number of turn out. But hope to round up the exercise successfully if more vitamin A was sent them