The Rotary International has solicited the supports of media organisations in Ekiti state in the prevention of infant and maternal deaths in the country.
The Rotary Country Director, Professor Emmanuel Lufadeju spoke in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state capital during a 3-day training organized for media practitioners under the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive Maternal and Child Health (RMCH).
During the training, stakeholders and resource persons in the health sectors and others exposed participants to every segments of the Reproductive Maternal and Child Health and how they can help in achieving desired results.
Lufadeju said partnership between Rotary and the Nigerian media would aid the organization’s effort in tackling the alarming death rate of infant and women of childbearing age.
He highlighted the role of journalists in ensuring accurate information reached the public while creating awareness to enable them make informed decision on reproductive, infant and maternal health care.
The CD noted that the capacity building was organised to equip media practitioners with new knowledge and hone their skills towards improving well-being of women of childbearing age and children under the age of five in through sensitization and public awareness.
He lamented that Nigeria has one of the highest death rates in world among young children under the age five and women of childbearing age with an estimation of about 512 maternal death per 100,000 live births and 132 deaths per 1,000 live births of children.
He said, ” Rotary’s intervention in maternal and child health projects in Nigeria, has shown that improving the accessibility, availability, affordability and quality of care in Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs) will most likely reduce the high rate of neonatal and maternal mortality in Nigeria; therefore we solicit your unrelenting support in this respect.
” The program of Scale “’Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria” involves series of initiatives,
practices, protocols and service delivery; structured to give mothers high-quality gynecological examinations, family planning, prenatal, delivery and postpartum care, in order to achieve optimal health for the mother, foetus and infant during pregnancy, childbirth and post partum as well as community dialogues to create awareness on reproductive health,
outreaches/ home visits to get to more vulnerable beneficiaries.
” The programme is designed for journalists with a demonstrated interest in health and
population issues. Its purpose is to promote accurate, knowledgeable, enterprising and investigative reporting.
” By this training, these journalists through their country wide reports will contribute to the
realization of reduced maternal and infant deaths resulting from pregnancy and child birth
complications, as well as promote the use of web-based electronic data management in
Nigeria.
” Our target outcome is at least 180 family planning, maternal or reproductive health, advocacy
and public awareness articles/stories published/broadcast by the trained journalist in the next 2 years.
He added that Rotary was committed to improving the nation’s healthcare system and help bring down the high infant and maternal mortality and morbidity rate by embarking on various health intervention programmes.
The RMCH Communication Officer, Mr Bunmi Afolabi said the programme was designed for the journalists to promote accurate and investigative reporting on reproductive, infant and maternal health delivery.
Afolabi who underscored the importance of media in checkmating the aged long myths and misconception about infant and maternal healthcare, said there was need for journalist coalesce effort with Rotary to reduce mortality rate through their reportage.
The Ekiti State Commissioner for Health and human services, Dr. Olabanji Filani who commended Rotary for training and other efforts in the society, voiced concern about the widespread lack of awareness regarding infant and maternal healthcare.
Filani represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr Olusola Gbenga-Igotun said that the state government would collaborate with Rotary in making efforts at reducting issues of deaths during childbirth.
and then