Politics

Group tasks religious, traditional leaders on antenatal care

Members of the Social Behavioral Change Advocacy Core Group (SBC-ACG) of Breakthrough Action Nigeria have tasked religious leaders, traditional rulers to always sensitise husbands, mothers-in-law and other family members on the benefits of going to antenatal clinics with their pregnant wives and daughter-in-law.

According to the group, the support of husband will expose him to learn about his pregnant wife’s needs, provide for her and create a birth delivery plan together with her thereby reducing maternal and child death, promote child spacing and improve good nutrition for pregnant mothers, children and the family.

The group disclosed this during its quarterly review meeting and biennial workplan development held at San Diego Hotel, Abakaliki, Ebonyi.

The meeting sponsored by USAID-BA-N was attended by the State Primary Health Acting Executive Secretary, State CAN chairman, vice CAN chairman Rev. Nwibo who is also SBC-ACG co-chair, Archbishops, Catholic chaplain SBC-ACG Abakaliki diocese, the president CWO Abakaliki diocese, Media, Medical Women Association Ebonyi State, WOWICAN, Muslim society, FOMWAN, SMOH/SPHCDA program officers, ministry of women affairs, CSOs, traditional leaders and other religious bodies.

The group however calls for the subsidisation of ANC service in Ebonyi and Nigeria at large noting that lack of finances to take appropriate health care, had taken many women and children’s lives.

They also called on stakeholders of various communities in the State to provide To and fro Shuttle for expectant mothers to health facilities in their area to ease their stress thereby, motivating them to take ANC visits seriously.

Meanwhile, the group tasked Stakeholders to always advised ladies below 18 years of age that are married to delay getting pregnant until they turn 18 to avoid risking their lives during delivery even as they call on Stakeholders to also preach on the importance of child spacing.

They further speak on the low number of health workers in the health facilities and advocate for recruitment of more female health workers, subsidisation of ANC service and male involvement in ANC. According to the group, the recruitment and constant training of the health workers will improve MNCH+N in the State.

“A pregnant woman needs to commence ANC as soon as she finds out she is pregnant. She needs to eat lots of meat and fish, green leafy vegetables, milk products, beans, nuts sweet potatoes and ensure that the salt she uses is iodized and should also drink plenty of fluids and that is the reason we are saying that men should go with their wives to the health facility for ANC to learn about her needs , provide for her and create a birth delivery plan together.”

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