From INIOBONG SUNDAY, Uyo
Determined to curb the high rate of infant mortality in Akwa Ibom and Jigawa States, Bill Gates Foundation, BGF, Non- Governmental Organisations, NGOs, and key stakeholders in the health sector have launched an intervention scheme aimed at mitigating the effects of major childhood diseases in children under age five.
This was the major thrust of a consensus and baseline assessment meeting by health stakeholders including Rotary International Foundation, RIF, under its pet project -Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge, RHCC, held in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
The meeting, it was gathered, aimed at strengthening healthcare access for children under five, who, they noted, are facing the dangers of death by killer ailments – pneumonia, malaria and diarrhoea.
Speaking at the event, Team Lead of PATH/ RHCC Project, Chinedu Eqwuonwu, explained that the programme, already implemented in several African countries, aligns with Nigeria’s Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services, CHIPS, initiative under the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, NPHCDA,
“We are not setting up anything new; we are supporting Akwa Ibom State to expand access to primary healthcare, especially for underserved children in rural communities,” he said.
According to him, the project, already active in six local government areas, trains community-nominated health workers to diagnose and treat childhood illnesses, thereby reducing the long-distance visit to hospitals, explaining that, “If a child shows danger signs, these workers facilitate referrals to primary or secondary facilities.”
Country Representative for RHCC, Adeyemi Oladokun, urged deeper collaboration and commended the state government for prioritising child health.
“Rotary is committed to advocacy and strategic planning to ensure that this project succeeds. We want fewer children under five dying from preventable diseases,” he stated.
In his remarks, Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, AISPHDA, Dr Martin Akpan, lauded Governor Umo Eno’s commitment to healthcare development, citing the recent commissioning of an ultra-modern health centre in Ikot Ekwere Ubium in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area and the state’s oxygen plant as milestones.
“With the governor’s passion, Akwa Ibom is leading in primary healthcare,” he noted, and thanked Rotary International for choosing the state for the intervention.
The project is expected to significantly reduce child mortality by bridging the gap in healthcare access across rural communities.
