Enugu State Government has targeted over one million children to benefit from free drugs, medical consumable and other routine services in its ongoing Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Week.
The week-long programme, which is the first round of the programme in the year, is designed to reach out to 280,000 pregnant women when they attend anta-natal programmes in health facilities in all the wards within the state.
At the Flag -off of the programme in Enugu on Wednesday, wife of Enugu State Governor, Monica Ugwuanyi, urged pregnant women to take attendance to anta-natal seriously and ensure they carry out all necessary tests to understand their condition better.
She said that the tests would afford pregnant women the chance to easily detect when pregnancy complications wete coming and deal with them on time as well as take useful counsel from a physician on their health condition.
“I want mothers to take all they learnt here seriously and spread the message of the week and lots of its benefits to mothers in all neighbourhoods and localities even to rural communities.
“Our mothers, especially pregnant women, should feed well. Eat healthy foods for the sake of the baby and avoid all forms of processed foods.
“Please, start attending your anta-natal and doing your tests on time to understand your body and heed to all advice given to you by the doctor concerning your health and that of your unborn child,” she said.
The governor ‘s wife also spoke on gender and sexual based violence and checking the use of drugs and substance abuse among children within the home.
She said: “There is a lot of violation of minors and children ongoing among us. As mothers, we should be watchful and careful on who comes in contact with our children, even the little infant at home.
“In my office, I receive cases of raping of infants even done by close family members and those who should protect the child. As mothers, nature has endowed us with the power and wisdom to protect our children”.
Speaking, the Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA),Dr George Ugwu, said that the programme was being carried out twice yearly under the guidance of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
He said that it was being carried out in conjunction with the state’s development partners – WHO, UNICEF and the state governor’s wife foundation – Ugo Touch of Life Foundation (U-TOLF) among others.
According to him, the programme, essential health services and commodities would be distributed free in every communities, villages and hamlets in the state using the over 676 health facilities and outposts where routine immunisations take place.
“We have trained 2,200 health workers to deliver the services for the programme. During the programme, women and children will be given health education, pre-natal vitamin A, other multivitamins, routine immunisation, family planning commodities and COVID-19 vaccination among others.
“We are very happy that this year’s first round of the programme is commencing early in the year and as an Agency, we are prepared to offer this service in an optimised and integrated manner.
“We are most grateful to our caring and health loving governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for always providing us with all the enablement and necessary support.
“ENS-PHCDA appreciates the wife of our governor, Her Excellency, Mrs Monica Ugwuanyi, for her care, love, guidance and support as well as U-TOLF continuous support loads of free drugs, multivitamins and health consumables each time we have this programme, ‘ Ugwu said.
In a goodwill message, the Chairman of Enugu State House Committee on Health, Chief Sam Ngene, commended Ugwuanyi’s developmental stride on health, assuring that the house would continue to make laws to better healthcare delivery in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ikechukwu Obi, represented by the Permanent Secretary in his ministry, Dr Ifeanyi Agujiobi, thanked the governor, U-TOLF foundation, WHO, UNICEF, NPHCDA and others for their support that had kept the state’s health sector running smoothly.
On his part, the Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Ambassador Lawrence Agubuzu, assured that the traditional rulers would use town criers and other local communication to mobilise women in all localities to participate actively in the programme.
In a remark, representative of UNICEF, Dr Nwakego Ibekwe, said that UNICEF is part and parcel of the health success story of the state and it would continue to give its support especially on health issues that affect women and children.
“We are calling on pregnant women, mothers and Caregivers to use the programme to get free drugs, medical consumables and services free in health care centres as well as spread the good news of the programme to their neighbours for them to benefit.
“I am also encouraging mothers with infants or children of vaccination age to use this programme to ensure that their infants get a full dose of each vaccination in order to guarantee the infant’s total protection against diseases.
“UNICEF is commending the state government and ENS-PHCDA for being consistent with their health programmes and services as well as putting rural women and children as their priority target in healthcare delivery,” he said.
