Bauchi governor’s wife urges women to embrace intervention on good health practices

THE wife of the Governor of Bauchi state, Hajiya Aisha Mohammed, has advised women in the state to embrace interventions in positive health behaviours on Maternal Newborn, Children and Nutrition (MNCH-N).

Mohammed gave the advice on Monday during a launch of the campaign on Social and Behavioural Change with a slogan “Albishirinku” (meaning good news to you all).

She said: “Women should accept the good practices that will improve women and children’s health.

“Since the intervention of our fathers, that is the traditional and religious leaders, it is going to reach our communities and be beneficial.

“Women should ensure personal and environmental hygiene and that children are given nutritional food.”

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Mohammed said that all the components of MNCH-N were essential in reducing maternal and infant mortality rate in the state.

She thanked the traditional and religious leaders for their contribution toward the uplift of the various health indicators for MNCH-N in the state.

Earlier, the state Coordinator of Breakthrough Nigeria, Mr Usman Inuwa, said that the project was meant to engage communities in positive cultural practices for MNCH-N through social and behavioural change.

He said that priority areas of coverage included pregnancy, childbirth, antenatal, exclusive breastfeeding, preventive treatment for malaria, essential newborn care, among others.

Inuwa said that the project would adopt interpersonal, community radio, mass media, mobile and digital approaches to effectively reach the target audience.

“The project goal is to increase practices of priority health behaviour in the areas of Malaria, MNCH-N and family planning,” he said.

Also, the acting Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Mr Mustapha Bello, said that the available statistics show that women of childbearing age were 22 per cent, while children under one were four per cent.

Bello also said that children under five were 20 per cent, while pregnant women were five per cent of the population.

Bello said that the state had developed a different mechanism for reducing the burden of MNCH-N to 50 per cent by 2021.

Dr Khalid Isa, an official of the World Health Organization in Bauchi, said that the organisation would support the state in the areas of maternal and infant health.