Chima Azubuike
No fewer than 800,000 children and about 200,000 pregnant women are expected to benefit from the free anti-malarial drugs to be distributed during the first round of Maternal New Born Child Health Week and Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention recently launched by the Gombe State Government.
PUNCH Healthwise gathered that the programme was organised by the State Ministry of Health in conjunction with State Primary Healthcare Development Agency at Primary Health Care Centre, Lalaipido, in the Shongom Local Government Area.
Speaking at the health week, which commenced on Tuesday (today), the Executive Secretary, State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahaman Shuaibu, said children between the ages of six to 59 months will benefit from Vitamin A supplements.
According to him, the initiative was geared towards reducing maternal and infant mortality in the state.
“A total number of over 800,000 children between the ages of three to 59 months will benefit from free anti-malarial drugs, while about 200,000 pregnant women will benefit from other life-saving interventions.
“Children aged 6-59 months will benefit from vitamin A supplement, while children aged 12-59 months, will be provided with anti-worm medication and iron/ desolate supplementation among others,” he said.
On his part, The Deputy Governor, Dr. Manassah Jatau, who is also the Chairman of the Taskforce on Routine Immunisation in the state, underscored the importance of health.
He said, “This administration has placed great priority on health that is why apart from security, health is the top most priority of Government. This is because, without health, nothing works. This explains the numerous interventions in the health sector recorded by this government of which you are all witnesses.
“As you are all aware, the Maternal Newborn Child Health Week is conducted bi-annually nationwide with a view to reducing morbidity and mortality among pregnant women and children under five years. Services to be provided across Primary Health Care facilities include reproductive healthcare, maternal newborn and child care services.”
Dr. Jatau said during the health week, the state will also conduct seasonal malaria chemoprevention, considering that the rainy season is a period when malaria parasites breed in bushes and stagnant water within the environment.
“Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. It is well known as the leading cause of maternal and child death in Nigeria and as such, increases the burden to the already weakened health system, thereby, reducing productivity among our people,” he added.
Jatau warned against attributing causes of sicknesses to witchcraft, sorcery, or blaming it on family members but to explore medical provisions as solutions to their health challenges.
He reassured the people of the state of government’s commitment to improving their well-being, especially that if women and children under-five years, even as he called on traditional and religious leaders across the state to support the administration in the fight against all diseases that constitute health challenges in the state.
In his address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Danladi Adamu, said, “This event is the commencement of the delivery of an integrated package of cost-effective interventions primarily to be delivered to strengthen the routine Primary Health Care services, where pregnant women, mothers and children, aged 0-59 months are the main beneficiaries”.
He also said the interventions of the state government aim to reduce the prevalence of maternal and under-five child morbidity and mortality rate in the state.
“One of the national strategies to reduce the burden of malaria in the country and Gombe is that the state government in partnership with the federal ministry of health through the National Malaria Elimination Program( NMEP) with support from the Global Fund Malaria Grant, and other stakeholders in the fight against malaria have intensified efforts in drastically reducing the prevalence of malaria by targeting children 3-59 months through the administration of the seasonal malaria Chemoprevention, using suldoxine-primethamine plus Amodiaquine,” Adamu added.
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