The Enugu State Government says it is targeting 400, 000 children under the ages of five for de-worming in the ongoing 2017 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week. The govt said vitamin A would be administered on the children during the 1 Round of the five days exercise to enhance their health and well-being.
The state’s Director of Public Health Services, Dr Okechukwu Ossai, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Tuesday.
Ossai revealed that vitamin A would be administered on the children during the 1 Round of the five days exercise to enhance their health and well-being.
According to him, the exercise will be facility-based.
He said that all Primary Health Care (PHC) centres in political wards; general hospitals in council areas and tertiary health institutions would be part of the exercise.
The director noted that newborns would also benefit from immunisation, adding that children under the ages of one, who had missed any of their routine immunisation would be immunised in the exercise.
He said that nursing mothers would receive family planning talks, free HIV/AIDS screening, free insecticide treated nets, nutritional guidance, hygiene and environmental orientation.
Ossai added that the exercise would further reduce maternal and child mortality to the barest minimal.
He said that the state Ministry of Health had gone through religious bodies and community leaders to sensitise the citizens on the week.
Ossai said that the jingles on the exercise and its benefits had been ongoing in local radio and television stations in the state.
“We have kicked-off the 1st Round of 2017 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week in the state maternal and child mortality.
“It will mop up any uncovered area on maternal and child healthcare as Free and Compulsory Maternal and Child Healthcare is the cardinal programme of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
“Both the newborn, children under the ages of five, nursing mothers and mothers have something to benefit in the exercise, which services will be facility-based,’’ he said.
NAN reports that the week, which kicked-off on Aug. 14, would end on Aug. 18.
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Communication for development can be defined as the strategic communication aimed at facilitating social, political, economic, moral, cultural, agricultural development or change. This news is appropriate for any discussion on communication for development because it has mentioned a five day exercise which will be carried out in Enugu that will involve strategic communication programs to interact with target audiences for development. Children will be given immunization and nursing mothers will receive family planning talks and free HIV screening. This screening will not be done without a sensitization on what HIV really is for those who do not know, and this will ensure a change in any practice that is anti-development.
NDUBUNMA OGECHI.
DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION
CALEB UNIVERSITY IMOTA, LAGOS.