By Philip Yatai
Bagudo – The District Head of Bagudo community, Alhaji Bello Sambo, Bagudo Local Government Area of Kebbi has urged women in the community to avail themselves of these preventive and protective health care services provided at the Maternal and Child Healthcare Centre.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the facility was renovated and handed over to the Kebbi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency in April.
The facility was renovated by UNICEF under the EU – Maternal, New-born, Child Health and Nutrition (EU-MNCHN) project being implemented in the state since 2016.
Sambo, represented by Alhaji Umaru Dikko, a title holder , made the call in Bagudo on Friday when a team from the EU and UNICEF, led by UNICEF Communication Specialist, Malam Rabiu Musa, paid an assessment tour to the facility.
He said that the project will support the community in both preventive and curative nutrition interventions through infant and young child feeding counselling.
Sambo said that the centre would improve antenatal care attendance, immunisation and other crucial health and nutrition services.
Also speaking, the Development Committee Chairman in the community, Shehu Usman, commended UNICEF and the EU for the intervention.
He called on the state government and other development partners to support the facility with electricity.
On her part, the supervisor, in charge of the centre, Mrs Hauwa Shehu, said that since its renovation in April, the facility has recorded huge turnout of pregnant women and nursing mothers.
“The facility was renovated and equipped to provide various health and nutrition services to about 10,000 women from 20 communities around the facility.
“We have been well trained under EU-MNCHN project to provide quality services and Maternal and infant mortality had been on the decline, but our hope is to record zero mortality in this facility.
“We are equally hoping for zero percent of mother to child transmission of HIV and record 100 per cent uptake of immunisation services,” Shehu said.
UNICEF Child Survival and Development Consultant in the state, Mrs Susan Adeyemi-Wise, explained that the facility was renovated and equipped with delivery and laboratory equipment, ANC facilities, drugs and various test Kits.
Adeyemi-Wise added that Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities were also provided to promote good sanitation and hygiene.
“The project has equally built the capacity of the health workers on life-saving skills, Integrated Management of Child Illnesses, Infant and Young Child Feeding, Community Management of Acute Malnutrition and Micro Nutrition Powder, ” she added.