Pregnant women, nursing mothers commend EU-UNICEF over CCT/SPP intervention

Pregnant women and nursing mothers in Kafin Sule, one of the hard to reach (HTR) communities in Misau Local government area of Bauchi State have commended EU-UNICEF initiatives of Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) under the Social Protection Program (SPP) appealing for more of such to improve mother and child health.

Some of the beneficiaries of the programme who spoke to our Correspondent in Kafin Sule Health Center are of the opinion that the program has really impacted positively on their health status as well as that of their under 5 children.

Ummi Isah, a 17 years old nursing mother said that when she heard about the program, she quickly embraced it stressing that she had no regret partaking in it as it has really proved to be a good one.

She added that “I attended ante-natal four times and each of the visits I got N1000 after the very good care I received from the workers. After delivery, I received another sum of N400 as well as N4000 for four visits to get my child immunized. It is indeed a welcome development”.

On her own part, 25 years old Asabe Hassan who is carrying her 4th pregnancy disclosed that “I have noticed a difference between now that I am coming for ante-natal and the previous years. The workers take good care of me and my unborn child by giving me the sum of N1000 which I use to buy food that will enhance my health and the baby I am carrying”.

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Secretary of the community committee for the program, Baba Yarima who stood in for the Chairman disclosed that since 2017 when the program was launched in the community not less than the sum of N10m has been disbursed to pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Baba Yarima while commending EU-UNICEF for the intervention program called for more funds because according to him, “with the acceptance of the programme, more women from neighbouring villages in Giade LGA are now coming to benefit and we cannot deny them because we are all one people”.

In her own contribution, Deputy Women Leader in the community, Daso A. Liman said that the SPP initiative has contributed greatly to the promotion of mother and child health particularly during pregnancy and after delivery.

Daso Liman said that periodically women members of the committee go out for mobilization and sensitization in order to educate women on the importance of mother and child health stressing that since 20117 when the program started in the community, the attitude of women to health issues has changed positively.

The Community Health Officer (CHO) in charge of the facility, Amina Mohammed while commending EU-UNICEF for the initiative however lamented dearth of manpower in the facility which is now overwhelmed by patients.

Amina Mohammed, therefore, appealed to the authority concerned at the LGA level to as a matter of urgency post more health personnel to the facility to complement their efforts.

Kafin Sule which has a population of about 16,000 inhabitants has a total of 3,493 women of childbearing age while children under 5 years are 3,175 with 50 settlement who are mostly farmers and cattle real. Access to the community is by motorcycle which takes about 2 hours to ride from Misau, headquarters of the LGA.