NGO Sensitises 50 Women on Accessing RMNCH Services at Health Facilities

Daily Chronicle 

A Non Governmental Organisation, Women, Child, Youth Health And Education Initiative WCY (H&EI) has sensitised 50 women and adolescent mothers on utilisation of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) facilities in Bauchi state.

Speaking during the sensitisation in Kafin Madaki Primary Health Care Centre in Ganjuwa Local Government Area on Thursday, Mrs Rashida Mukadas, the Executive Director of the NGO, said the organisation’s mission was to save lives.

She also said parts of its mission was to improve nutrition and promote productive living for women, children and youth through adequate educational opportunities, quality Healthcare systems and improved economic empowerment opportunities towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

She added that the purpose of the sensitisation was to let the community be aware that improved care around time of birth and after birth can significantly reduce the mortality rate of mothers and children at the point of delivery.

Mukadas revealed that the sensitisation would also encourage women to visit the hospital regularly and consult specialists rather than resulting in home remedies and self medications.

The Executive Director also said that getting pregnant too young or too soon is a key risk factor for complications in pregnancy and childbirth, hence the sensitisation.

According to her, RMNCH covers the health concerns and interventions across the life course involving women before and during pregnancy as well as newborns in the first 28 days of life and children to their fifth birthday.

“Advocacy and sensitisation is a continuous process and our organization is such that tries to enrich access to health, education and governance.

“It also promotes Maternal Neonatal health in Bauchi state and outside Bauchi state,” she said.

She said Kafin Madaki was the second community visited after Bauchi metropolis, adding that all the 20 LGAs in the state would be covered for the sensitisation by the NGO.

Mukadas explained that the organisation would continue to visit any community where they carried out the sensitisation to see what effort was made as well as measure the improvement in their attitude towards health issues.

Also speaking, Mrs Haleemah Ahmed, a staff at the PHC, said most of the pregnant adolescent mothers do come for antenatal but preferred to deliver at home when it was time to deliver.

She added that the sensitisation would go a long way in helping them to deliver at the facilities where they attended antenatal treatment rather than giving birth at home.

She also revealed that one of the excuses the women gave for delivering at home was lack of money for delivery at the hospital, saying the sensitisation also addressed how to plan for expenses necessary for delivery right from the first month of pregnancy.

One of the beneficiaries, Hajara Usman, who spoke on behalf of all, promised to impart the knowledge acquired to other women of reproductive health about the importance of antenatal care, hospital delivery, postnatal care and others.

The NGO also distributed hand sanitizers and nose masks to the PHC.

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