Akwa Ibom state government has praised the holistic approach to maternal and child health care taken by UNICEF, international health partners, and the state ministry of health in the month of June.

The commissioner for Health, Dr. Louisa Ukpeh, who flagged off the programme in the state commended the financial, material and moral assistance provided by the stakeholders especially in creating awareness and the provision of vaccines and other facilities for the programme in which all the 31 Local governments in the state took part.

Each day began with health education where mothers and pregnant women were enlightened on proper and effective hand washing and family hygiene and care, the use of Long Lasting Insecticide Net (LLIN) exclusive and complementary breastfeeding and essence of frequenting health centers for every health problem as better alternatives to native doctors, herbalists, traditional birth attendants and prayer houses or churches.

The administrations of OPV and DPT vaccines against polio and diphtheria, vitamin A supplementation to improve nourishment of babies and ferrous folate for pregnant women as well as tablets for de-worming were made available. Another exercise was the screening for nutritional status of children which provides a system to actively identify a child before it progresses into malnutrition.

In Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, only Ikono had a good report of the support of the council, which enabled the director of health Mrs Iboro Nsikak to replenish the stock of drugs which she distributed in the 13 health centers in the area. While her Ikot Ekpene counterpart Mrs Ekaette Onuaha said she got approved financial assistance late but saw the programme through with borrowed drugs.

In Abak, figures obtained from Ekaette Ukpong local immunization officer and Mrs Rose Albert, nutrition focal person showed coverage of 6,000 for children under one year in vitamin A supplementation and 24,000 for those less than 5 months out of a target population of 6,360. The OPV coverage for the first 3 days was 673 while DPT was 173.

UNICEF media monitors of the programme in the three senatorial districts of Akwa Ibom said that health statistics from the local government areas shows an improvement in the health status of children, pregnant and maternal mothers in the state.

Enthusiastic health workers in Eket and Ikot Ekpene Senatorial Districts based on the data of coverage in immunization, vitamin A supplement administration and de-worming, attributed the observed improvements to mobilization campaigns, health care for pregnant women and less than five years aged children by the Chief Godswill Akpabio’s administration.

Family Life Enhancement Initiative (FLEI) under its multiple birth support programme also presented the sum of N1.74 million cash to 87 parents of triplets and twins in Akwa Ibom state.

The support programme which is a pet programme of the wife of the governor of Akwa Ibom State saw 72 mothers of twins and 15 mothers of triplets smiling home with the sum of N20,000.00 each.

Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio who made the presentation said it was to assist parents with multiple births in line with the aims and objectives of FLEI which was to alleviate poverty by catering for the less privileged and the needy in the society.

Parents were advised to take advantage of the free medical services offered by the present administration by going to the hospital to receive proper medical treatment and also take advantage of the free and compulsory education to send their children to school in order to secure a bright future and also be able to compete intelligently with children all over the globe in this 21st century.

Mothers in particular were advised to breast feed their babies properly to guarantee their good health and also to make sure that they receive immunization against child killer and deformity diseases.

The deputy director of FLEI Mrs Okon reminded mothers that a good society can only emerge when parents bring up their children in a loving and peaceful environment by showing them love and care to become useful and meaningful citizens.

Parents were warned not to send out their children for child labor and trafficking but rather should send them to school which had been made available free by the present administration in Akwa Ibom state.