The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) said over 1.1 million children in Anambra State would benefit from its Vitamin A supplements during the first round of its optimised Maternal, Newborn Child Health (oMNCH) week.
The nutrition specialist at the UNICEF Enugu Office, Ngozi Onuorah, gave the figure at the opening of the campaign for material and child health programme at Umueri, Anambra East local Government Area.
The programme is organised by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), in collaboration with the state’s PHCDA, Ministry of Health, and support from UNICEF, World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners.
According to Onuorah, the campaign would bring primary health care interventions to the doorsteps of mothers and their children. She, however, lamented Iron deficiency anaemia in children in Anambra State, adding that of 334,838 expectant mothers, 170,148 (51 per cent), are anaemic.
She said: “It is a high impact programme anchored by Vitamin A supplementation and deworming, which are the two given to children annually. Vitamin A alone has the singular potential to prevent all causes of infant deaths by 23-26 per cent. It boosts the child’s immune system and prevents a lot of infections, including measles attack.
“The Vitamin A target is for children aged 6-59 months, and they are about 1,106,080 in Anambra State. We have given the state a ceiling of 85 per cent to achieve, which is over 998,000, but we are hoping to achieve 100 per cent.
“It requires robust sensitisation, and UNICEF and government have supported town criers, jingles and many social mobilisation activities to ensure all communities participate effectively. Our expectation is that all children in the state will be covered.”
Chief of Field Office, UNICEF-Enugu, Mrs. Juliet Chiluwe, described the programme as a significant milestone to attain children’s right in Nigeria and also scaling up demands for PHC services.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo, who opened the event, underscored the importance government attaches to the health of children, expectant and nursing mothers.
Soludo, who was represented by Deputy Governor Onyekachi Ibezim, said the outreach was in line with his campaign promises on health, including completion of general hospitals so they can become accessible to all.
Commissioner for Health Dr. Afam Obidike appreciated UNICEF and other stakeholders for their support to the state in various health interventions. He described antenatal among expectant mothers as life-saving, assuring close monitoring of the exercise to ensure the desired results were achieved.
Executive Secretary of ASPHCDA, Mrs. Chisom Uchem said the outreach, which would end July 2, was aimed at increasing access to, and utilisation of essential and life saving interventions.
“The exercise is also to strengthen routine system through updated knowledge and skills of health workers for service delivery, improved health management information systems as well as improve healthy household practices,” she said.