Kano state Government has set aside N100 million for the first round of 2019 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) designed to offer free medical care to thousands of women and children across the state.
Speaking to reporters on the line up of activities for the programme, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kabiru Getso said the programme, which will hold from February 27 to March 3, is one of the ways to carter for the primary and health care needs women and children, particularly those in the rural areas.
According to him, the programme will be at over 1200 primary and secondary healthcare centres across the state.
Dr. Getso explained: “It is a week where high impact low cost interventions are offered to pregnant women and children under the age of five with the aim of increasing coverage levels of some important preventive and curative health indicators that allow mothers and children to thrive and develop.
“It also provides an opportunity to deliver health services for mother, newborn and child through the existing health system most of which are already enshrined in our aged-long free MCH services available at both primary and secondary levels of care.”
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Dr. Getso said the programme will render services such as offering Vitamin A supplementation for children aged six to 59 months, de-worming of children aged 11 to 59 months, immunisation of children under five years and nutritional status screening for children under five years.
Other services include birth registration for children under five years, antenatal services including malaria prophylaxis for pregnant women child birth spacing services and HIV/AIDS counseling and testing services.
He further informed the programme will include demonstration of key household practices such as hand washing, personal hygiene, exclusive breast feeding, complimentary feeding and use of long lasting insecticide treated nets, among others.
