The Permanent Secretary, Delta State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. (Mrs) Minnie Oseji, has revealed that the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) initiative in the state has reduced the susceptibility rate of a total of 10,633,034 children to childhood killer diseases and visionary impairment.
Oseji said that since the last six years, the State had implemented 13 rounds of the MNCHW through which Vitamin A supplement was given to children between the ages of six to 59 months with the result that their immune systems were boosted to resist debilitating ailments, including blindness.
The Permanent Secretary made the revelation in Asaba on Tuesday, during a one-day high level sensitization meeting with relevant stakeholders on the prospect of leveraging resources for MNCHW implementation in the three senatorial districts of the state.
“Between 2010 and 2016, Delta State has implemented thirteen (13) rounds of MNCHW and during this period, a total of 10,633,034 children (6-59 months old) have received Vitamin A Supplementation to boost their immunity against childhood killer diseases as well as protect their vision”, she said.
“We have been able to get a very high coverage of Vitamin A. Vitamin A contributes to keeping our children healthy and also improves their sights. In those days, one of the complications in many children who had measles was deficiency of Vitamin; this could lead to night blindness or cornea ulcer.
“But because many of our children have been receiving Vitamin A regularly for several years, even if they do get measles, it no longer lead to complication in sight or other debilitating diseases. It also boosts immunity against diarrhea and respiratory infections. We are happy that Delta State has a very high coverage of Vitamin A”, Oseji added in an interview.
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She averred that many people have benefited from the health education of the MNCHW, particularly in the areas of exclusive breastfeeding, but lamented that about 27 per cent of nursing mothers still breastfeed their babies for less than 12 months, while 59 per cent of them introduce complimentary feeds to their babies before they are six months old.
She urged all breastfeeding mothers to adopt the two years breastfeeding period as medically advised, explaining that adequately breastfed children have higher disease resistance levels than their poorly breastfed counterparts.
Representative of the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Expanded Programme on Immunization (UPI), Ms. Joy Oji observed that the international agency had religiously provided its counterpart funds for the MNCHW, disclosing that the 100 per cent funding earlier provided by UNICEF has snowballed into 25 per cent because the subsisting agency funding approach of the programme is giving way to that of ownership funding in which much commitment is required from benefiting states.
The author, Joshua Erubami, could be reached through 08065108405 or Erubami26@gmail.com
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