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Tag: United Nations Children’s Fund

  • UNICEF provides uniform, bags to 12, 000 pupils in Adamawa

    UNICEF provides uniform, bags to 12, 000 pupils in Adamawa

    The United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) has provided uniforms, bags and sandals to primary school pupils in seven local government areas affected by insurgency in Adamawa.

    The Director, Social Mobilization, Adamawa State Universal Education Board, Hajiya Fadimatu Alfa, made the disclosure in an interview on Monday in Yola.

    Alfa said the gesture was part of support from the fund to enhance school enrolment particularly that of the girl-child in the affected areas.

    Alfa said over 8,000 girls in over 40 selected primary schools would receive the items.

    Read also: 20,210 babies born in Nigeria on Jan. 1, says UNICEF

    “There was an earlier supply of uniforms to over 4,000 pupils in all girls schools in the state who are not part of the latest supply,” Alfa said.

    She said those to benefit from the latest supply were pupils in nursery and those in primary one to three.

    The director said that UNICEF also provided desks for the schools alongside the rehabilitation of some classrooms.

    “The interventions by UNICEF, was done through School-Based Management Committees of the affected schools who are provided with funds to do the job,” Alfa said.

    She lauded UNICEF for its support to education and other programmes in the state, and reiterated the commitment of the board to collaborate with the fund to achieve maximum result.

    NAN

  • UNICEF, NOA mobilises journalists to fight HIV in Kaduna

    UNICEF, NOA mobilises journalists to fight HIV in Kaduna

    The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund ( UNICEF ) and the National Orientation Agency ( NOA ) have mobilised 43 journalists to check the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS among Adolescent and Young Persons ( AYPs ) in Kaduna State.

    The Officer in charge of UNICEF, Kaduna Field Office, Dr Idris Baba, said at a One-day Media Dialogue on AYPs HIV Intervention held in Zaria, that the move was necessary to curb the increasing HIV related deaths among AYPs.

    Baba said that UNICEF had committed significant resources to supporting AYPs HIV intervention in the state, noting that much would not be achieved without support from the media.

    “For various reasons ranging from gender, biological to socio-economic; young women have a higher HIV prevalence rate and were infected earlier in life than men of the same age group.

    “So far, only about seven per cent of AYPs in the state knows their HIV status due to lack of HIV/AIDS awareness and because HIV services in health facilities are not youth-friendly.

    “This is why UNICEF in collaboration with the state government launched the AYP-HIV intervention project, a combination of HIV counselling, testing and treatment.

    “The project is being implemented in seven local government areas of Chikun, Igabi, Lere, Kagarko, Birnin Gwari, Jaba and Jema’a,’’ he said.

    Baba explained that youths were not comfortable discussing HIV related issues with elderly people, adding that they felt comfortable with their peers and open up more.

    “This means that we will break more grounds when we engage youths to sensitise their peers about the virus to increase demand for the services.

    Read also: UNICEF spends N200m to tackle HIV in Kaduna

    “It is for this reason that we trained 624 AYPs as demand creators, counsellors and testers for the project.

    “468 are creating demand for HIV services, while 156 are providing HIV counselling and testing services in the seven LGAs,’’ he said.

    Baba said the project had reached out to 147,196 AYPs with HIV information in the seven LGAs from August to date of which 39,927 were tested and received result.

    “Our goal is to ensure that 90 per cent of HIV positive AYPs know their status, 90 per cent HIV positive placed on treatment and achieve 90 per cent viral load suppression among the HIV positive by 2020,’’ he said.

    Earlier, the Media and External Relation Officer, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, Malam Rabiu Musa, had said the meeting was organised to discusse issues affecting AYPs in the state.

    Musa said that the meeting provided the needed avenue to interact with journalists in Kaduna and design effective ways of reaching out to the AYPs through media reportage.

    Also, Malam Lawal Haruna, a Deputy Director, NOA Kaduna Office, also said that media was crucial in winning the war against HIV in the state.

    “This is because the media informs, educates and influences peoples’ opinion and decisions with the potential of reaching a large audience.

    “We therefore, need the media to continue with their support of providing the needed awareness on HIV/AIDS among young persons on how to remain HIV free,’’ Haruna said.

    NAN

  • Calls for child adoption heighten

    Calls for child adoption heighten

    In its bid to end a situation in which thousands of children are abandoned, abused, trafficked and in some cases killed by ritualists, the Heritage Adoption Support and Advocacy Group (HASAAG), an offshoot of The Heritage Homes Orphanage, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has said it is determined to make a difference by rescuing as many children as it can and help to settle in loving homes through adoption.

    At its first annual conference, tagged ‘The Power of Adoption’, held on October 28 at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, the founder, Heritage Homes Orphanage, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, said HASAAG aims at changing the negative perception of adoption in the society and render support to prospective adopters, adoptive parents and adoptees.

    According to him, adoption is the solution to the growing problem of abandoned and vulnerable children in the society. The process will making thousands of homeless children to be settled in loving homes.

    “Adoption would depopulate our streets of children who can easily fall prey to all kinds of vices and become criminals and ultimately a threat to the society. Adoption transforms the lives of both childless couples and adopted children. Through adoption, loving and caring parents are able to fulfill a lifelong desire of having their own child. The culture of shame and stigma associated with adoption in our society must stop.”

    He said adoption can be embraced by people who have biological children, but they should have the heart and resources to take another child off the street.

    He appealed to all government authorities to make it easier for people to adopt children without compromising on the stringent checks and balances to prevent trafficking.

    He called for the co-operation of religious organisations, government and non-governmental organisations (NGO), corporate entities, the press and all Nigerians to take it as a collective responsibility to promote adoption.

    He also called on the Federal Government to establish uniform law to govern adoption.

    “States who are yet to enact the Child’s Right Act should do so. States who are yet to fully establish ministry and structure for regulating adoption should do so. Adoption process should be made easier and more accessible to all Nigerians,” he said.

    He added that government and all security agencies should make measures possible to stop killings of children.

    “The use of children by their parents and guardians for commercial purposes should stop and all those who abuse children sexually, mentally and emotionally must be brought before the law and if found guilty should face the full wrath of the law,” he said.

    Also speaking at the event, a representative from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Mr. Wilifred Mamah, who spoke on “Save a Child, Save a Nation”, noted that every child must be given the opportunity to thrive.

    According to him, a child is a bundle of possibility, sufficiency, hope, and should be treasured and celebrated.

    “The Child’s Right Law of Lagos 2015 makes its mission clear that a child is someone under 18.  The issue of child labour, abandonment, marriages and adoption are to be dealt with. Why do we continue to experience the issue of child abuse, abandonment, and neglect despite culture and the laws?”

    “To develop a nation, children must be empowered because they are the future and treasure of any nation, and they are mechanisms for strengthening and developing any country,” he said.

    Addressing the challenges of adoption in our society, Mrs Bridget Itsueli, a Public speaker, said culture is the main challenge to adoption in the society.

    She said: “We are sentimental about children; when girls are pregnant or those who cannot afford to take care of their children have children, rather than encourage them to find a solution that is workable, we force them to keep the children and this has negative result on them.

    “A girl that cannot take care of a baby has no right to keep the baby. It is the right of children to live good lives and their future is important.

    “We need to change the mindset regarding adoption; because being a parent is not about the swelling of the womb and the sperm, rather it is about looking after a child,” she said.

    An adoption expert, Mrs Bami Obasanya, spoke on “The Basis of Adoption Everyone Should Know”.

    She said adopters must be ready, and have the ability to accept the child into their heart, home and family.

    “To adopt a child is forming an artificial family and not a natural one. It is important to inform your family on what you have decided to do. Adoption requires training, change of mindset and the desire to adopt and parent.

    “Adoption is a lifelong commitment and it needs generosity and care. You are to tell the adopted children they are adopted from age two or as soon as you adopt them. Tell them in bits and never speak against their birth parents,” she said.

    A representative from the Lagos State Ministry of Youths and Social Welfare, Mr Oluwatoyin Kotun explained the adoption process, saying culture has made us not to accept adoption, but government has put a policy in place that would encourage people to adopt.

    Adopters, he said, must know why they want to adopt, be ready for the responsibility and its financial implications.

    Wife of the Vice-President, Dolapo Osinbajo urged Nigerians to adopt.

    “We must choose to fight the negativity that is around adoption and raise our voice to speak out against the stigma, uncertainty and fear attached to adoption.

     

  • Kano recovers diverted UNICEF Bags, mosquito nets

    Kano recovers diverted UNICEF Bags, mosquito nets

    The Kano Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Agency, on Tuesday recovered hundreds of customized, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) School bags and mosquito nets at the famous Wambai Market in the ancient city of Kano.
     
    Sources said the bags were provided by the international donor agency specifically to assist the children of the internally displaced persons (IDP) in the Boko Haram ravaged Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, but were said to be diverted into the local market in Kano.
     
    Speaking to reporters shortly after the anti-graft operatives raided shops where the bags were displayed for prospective buyers, the Head of Operation of the agency, CSP Suleiman Aliyu Gusau, said the agency has intensified investigation to unravel those behind the diversion of the materials.
    According to him “It was based on information that our personnel immediately swung into action by embarking on surveillance into the market where they were able to confiscate some of these diverted humanitarian items.
     
    One of the sellers of such items told this reporter that they mostly receive the supply from someone in Maiduguri, while he purchase the bags for N600 each and in-turn, sell it for N1,200 each.

  • ‘3,600 communities lack health facilities in Niger’

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that there are 3,600 communities in Niger State which lack basic health facilities and social amenities.

    Tagging those communities hard-to-reach, UNICEF has said that although the international donor partner seeks to provide health services to all the communities, it has only been able to reach out to 850 communities in 17 local government areas of the state.

    The Niger State Coordinator of the UNICEF Hard to Reach Communities, Dr. Mohammed Khalid disclosed to journalists at a sensitisation meeting in Minna, the state capital, that the nearest health centre is about 5km to these communities and the people would have to travel through hard and difficult terrains which discourages them from seeking health services.

    He expressed concern that the children in these areas are most vulnerable to diseases especially as some have become disfigured by some diseases which were not treated. Some other children are being rejected by the members of the communities because of some diseases which could have been cured if there was access to healthcare.

    “So many of these hard-to-reach communities are so far away from civilisation that they do not have electricity or even mobile networks. They have been abandoned, they are socially secluded and do not even know what they are missing because they have been left behind.”

    Khalid said that the UNICEF Hard-to-reach project seeks to bring the plight of the communities to the attention of the government in order for an increase in health allocation to carter for the health needs of the people living in the areas.

    According to him, under the hard-to-reach project,108,575 under-five children have been vaccinated and immunised, 314,604 Oral Polio Vaccines (OPV) doses were administered to the children 3,050 mobile sessions.

    The Coordinator said that the hard-to-reach project in engages routine immunisation including supplemental oral polio virus doses, diagnosis and treatment of childhood illnesses, nutritional assessment, Vitamin A supplements among others.

    “Our team usually consist of an experienced nurse midwife, a Child Health Emergency Worker (CHEW), two junior CHEWs and a data assistant. UNICEF hard-to-reach project covers 17 local government councils, 145 wards, 850 settlements and we have 17 teams and 850 voluntary community mobilisers.”

    He commended the Niger state government for its support and commitment in towards ensuring the success of the project especially in the supply of potent vaccines and RDT kits calling on the government to take note of the remaining 2,950 communities that are not being reached by the UNICEF project as they still Iive without any possibility of accessing healthcare in the state.

    “There is still much to be done, a lot of children in these communities need to be reached but while we try to do our best, the government need to do more in ensuring that these communities have medical intervention, so as not to bring down the health indices of the state.”

    The Niger state Immunization Officer, Dr. Samuel Jiya however said the state government is still working towards carrying health Intervention to the hard-to-reach communities in its bid to improve health indices and end maternal and child mortality.

    He said that government is putting in all its resources towards combating child killer diseases in the state.

    he United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that there are 3,600 communities in Niger State which lack basic health facilities and social amenities.

    Tagging those communities hard-to-reach, UNICEF has said that although the international donor partner seeks to provide health services to all the communities, it has only been able to reach out to 850 communities in 17 local government areas of the state.

    The Niger State Coordinator of the UNICEF Hard to Reach Communities, Dr. Mohammed Khalid disclosed to journalists at a sensitisation meeting in Minna, the state capital, that the nearest health centre is about 5km to these communities and the people would have to travel through hard and difficult terrains which discourages them from seeking health services.

    He expressed concern that the children in these areas are most vulnerable to diseases especially as some have become disfigured by some diseases which were not treated. Some other children are being rejected by the members of the communities because of some diseases which could have been cured if there was access to healthcare.

    “So many of these hard-to-reach communities are so far away from civilisation that they do not have electricity or even mobile networks. They have been abandoned, they are socially secluded and do not even know what they are missing because they have been left behind.”

    Khalid said that the UNICEF Hard-to-reach project seeks to bring the plight of the communities to the attention of the government in order for an increase in health allocation to carter for the health needs of the people living in the areas.

    According to him, under the hard-to-reach project,108,575 under-five children have been vaccinated and immunised, 314,604 Oral Polio Vaccines (OPV) doses were administered to the children 3,050 mobile sessions.

    The Coordinator said that the hard-to-reach project in engages routine immunisation including supplemental oral polio virus doses, diagnosis and treatment of childhood illnesses, nutritional assessment, Vitamin A supplements among others.

    “Our team usually consist of an experienced nurse midwife, a Child Health Emergency Worker (CHEW), two junior CHEWs and a data assistant. UNICEF hard-to-reach project covers 17 local government councils, 145 wards, 850 settlements and we have 17 teams and 850 voluntary community mobilisers.”

    He commended the Niger state government for its support and commitment in towards ensuring the success of the project especially in the supply of potent vaccines and RDT kits calling on the government to take note of the remaining 2,950 communities that are not being reached by the UNICEF project as they still Iive without any possibility of accessing healthcare in the state.

    “There is still much to be done, a lot of children in these communities need to be reached but while we try to do our best, the government need to do more in ensuring that these communities have medical intervention, so as not to bring down the health indices of the state.”

    The Niger state Immunization Officer, Dr. Samuel Jiya however said the state government is still working towards carrying health Intervention to the hard-to-reach communities in its bid to improve health indices and end maternal and child mortality.

    He said that government is putting in all its resources towards combating child killer diseases in the state.

     

  • 2.1 billion lack safe drinking water, sanitation globally’

    About three in 10 people worldwide, or 2.1 billion, lack access to safe, readily-available water at home, while six in 10, or 4.5 billion, lack safely-managed sanitation, a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said.

    The Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report, “Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and Sustainable Development Goal baselines”, presented the first global assessment of “safely managed” drinking water and sanitation services.

    The report’s overriding conclusion was that too many people still lack access, particularly in rural areas. “Safe water, sanitation and hygiene at home should not be a privilege of only those who are rich or live in urban centres,” says WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros  Adhanom  Ghebreyesus.

    He said these are some of the most basic requirements for human health, and all countries have a responsibility to ensure that everyone can access them. Ghebreyesus said though billions of people have gained access to basic drinking water and sanitation services since 2000, these services do not necessarily provide safe water and sanitation.

    “Many homes, healthcare facilities and schools also still lack soap and water for hand washing. This puts the health of all people but especially young children at risk for diseases such as diarrhoea,” the report accessed by The Nation said.

  • UNICEF, working toward improving PHCs

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it is working toward improving the basics of an appropriate primary healthcare system that will ensure communities have access to services.

    The Chief of Health, UNICEF, Nigeria, Mr John Agbor, made the assertion in an online interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos in commemoration of the 2017 World Malaria Day.

    Agbor said the organisation was working together with the Federal Ministry of Health and other partners to ensure that such services respond to their basic needs, including prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria.

    “Over the last couple of years, UNICEF’s support has been focused on several different states where we distribute and promote the use of insecticide-treated bed nets.

    “The bed nets prevent children from being bitten by the mosquitoes that transmit malaria.

    “We also support health facilities and community-based health workers with diagnosis and treatment of malaria, and we support preventive treatment for pregnant women.

    “Malaria is a major cause of people seeking medical care and, of course, it is a major cause of death among children in Nigeria,’’ Agbor said.

    The chief of health said that the country, through the Roll Back Malaria programme, had seen a significant drop in malaria since 2010.

    He said that the 2015 Malaria Indicator Survey showed that the prevalence of the disease had dropped from 42 per cent to 27 per cent in 2015.

    “Nigeria has a very solid 2014 to 2020 strategic plan that defines a number of strategies.

    “The key is what is known as vector control, which means reducing the number of mosquitoes and preventing them from biting, and improvements in diagnosis and treatment,’’ he said.

    Also, the President, Malaria Society of Nigeria, Dr Babajide Puddicombe, said that Nigeria was on track in reducing the burden of malaria.

    Puddicombe said: “There has been a significant reduction in the menace of malaria in Nigeria in the last 10 years.

    “As at today, every local government area in the country has malaria unit and a Roll Back Malaria Manager, whose duty among others is to handle awareness programmes at the grassroots.

    “He educates people of the dangers of malaria, especially to children under five years old and pregnant women.

    “Insecticide treated nets have been distributed all over the country; the use of Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT) in the treatment of malaria as against the use of Chloroquine has been accepted nationwide.

    “The need to sustain all these measures cannot be over emphasised’’.

    The president also said that there was need to fully involve NGOs whose primary objective was to complement government’s efforts in controlling the menace of malaria.

    NAN reports that the World Malaria Day is marked annually on April 25 to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control.

    The 2017 WMD global theme is “End Malaria for Good’’.

  • Meningitis: UNICEF, Borno State government in partner

    Meningitis: UNICEF, Borno State government in partner

    As part of their commitment to children’s health and wellness, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, in conjunction with the Borno state government have come together as a measure to quell any possible outbreak of meningitis in the state.

    The Chief of Maiduguri Field Office of UNICEF Geoffrey Ijumba told journalist in Maiduguri on Sunday that UNICEF apart from being an active member of the State Task Force on Meningitis has also has supported the state to preposition over 7,000 doses of Ceftriaxone (drug for treating meningitis A) in health facilities in the state; and has placed order for more of the drug.

    Mr. Ijumba also reiterated the fact that there is not reported case or cases of any outbreak of the disease in the state.

    According to Mr. Ijumba, UNICEF is also supporting Borno state in vaccine management by ensuring adequate storage, supply and distribution of the Meningitis A vaccines currently available in the state; and is ready to support the state with adequate storage and management of Meningitis C vaccines anytime available in the state.

    “UNICEF is currently working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners to train health workers in over 100 health facilities and 42 internally displaced persons’ (IDPs) camp clinics on the accurate diagnosis and effective management of cases, using the national protocols,”  Ijumba informed.

    He further disclosed that  UNICEF is supporting with community awareness and sensitization as well as taking the  lead in the development of communication materials and jingles for airing  on radio and TV; including the  deployment of no fewer than 2,000 volunteer community mobilisers in communities for mobilization and surveillance.

     

  • Riders for health

    Riders for health


    There is no denial that the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations (UN) and many other non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as various parastatals have engaged in endless struggles to provide health care for mothers and children across less privileged communities in Africa.

    Interestingly, the more these health organisations make efforts, the less it seems they are doing greatly in reducing maternal and child mortality, thus, the need for ‘Riders for Health’.

    According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports in 2014, Nigeria loses about 2, 300 of her under‐five year old children per day, which is approximately 839,500 children in a year.

    The same report has it that 145 pregnant women reportedly die either at child birth or after child birth per day. And this amounts to 52, 925 women per year.

    Given this statistics, Nigeria ‐ like many other African countries – ranks high as one of the countries with large contribution to the under‐five and maternal mortality rates in the world.

    Worthy of mention here is the fact that many of these deaths could be prevented if aid gets to those who need them, regardless of their locations – rural or urban settlement.

    It is largely true that the coverage and quality of health care service delivered to communities that are at the outskirts or in far rural areas has continued to fail both women and children in Nigeria. Thus, the need to introduce a project called: ‘Riders for Health’.

    ‘Riders for Health’ is an international social enterprise that strives to manage and maintain vehicles for health‐focused partners in sub‐Saharan Africa with the view of delivering health care services to communities far from cities.

    The expertise to be put in place by this project in transport management will enable health workers deliver vital health care to rural communities on a reliable and cost‐effective basis.

    The need for Riders for health became pertinent considering the challenges faced by health care givers in reaching communities that are far removed from urban settlements.

    What this means is that, not only that those members of communities that are far from cities often struggle in vain to get health care, even health care workers likewise struggle in a bid to save affected Riders for Health employs the use of every form of motor‐vehicles to deliver health care facilities as well as move health care givers to concerned communities.

    Among the motor‐vehicles that would be employed by this project include motorcycles, ambulances and other four‐wheel vehicles used in the delivery of health care in seven countries across Africa.

    These countries include Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and The Gambia.

    The project is in collaboration with ministries of health, international and African NGOs, private‐sector organisations, local community‐based organisations and religious groups, to improve access to health care,

    Furthermore, it is important to note here that the project has the capacity to take care of an estimated 14 million people across the seven African countries mentioned above.

    For example, one single motor‐vehicle plus one rider has the capacity to cover 56.7 kilometers and beyond within a month covering a total of 5.1 million people.

    At the core of this community‐focused project is both training and preventive vehicle maintenance. The essence for running reliable vehicle fleets cannot be separated from the need to ensure that the chain in health care delivery is never broken by failing vehicles thereby increasing health workers’

    The same way, prevention is better than cure in human health, so is maintenance better than repair for automobiles, hence the need for constant maintenance, which is also cheaper to keep a vehicle running efficiently over time than to repair it when it breaks down completely.

    The programmes have been designed to provide training and employment opportunities to build local  a project focusing on human health, the service of highly skilled technicians becomes vital to regularly travel to service vehicles in the communities in which health workers serve.

    In addition to training health workers to drive safely in the difficult terrain, there would also be training for them on how to carry out daily checks on their vehicles.

    It worthy of note to mention that majority of the population of sub‐Saharan Africans live in rural areas where the best roads are little more than dirt tracks.

    Public transport is infrequent and delivering health care on foot or by bicycle between sparse villages is an exhausting and ineffective task.

    Simply put, without reliable transportation system, the millions of pounds invested in vaccines, drugs, bed‐nets, condoms and to train health professionals every year will be wasted because they will fail to get to where they are needed on time.

    There is therefore every reason for this project to achieve the set goal in order to have a safe and healthy world.