The Edo State branch of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN) has tasked nursing mothers with ensuring that they complete the immunization schedule for their babies to avoid diseases that could cause death or hamper the child’s growth.
The chairman of the Edo State branch of the APHPN, Dr Andrew Obi, made the plea during a Community Health Outreach in collaboration with the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Ovia North East LGA, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and World Health Organisation ( WHO) in Ovbiogie Primary Health Centre, Ovia North East, Edo State.
The association also welcomed the National President of APHPN, Dr Terfa Kene, who was on an official visit to the state.
Speaking, Dr Obi said that in addition to welcoming the National President, the association also seeks to collaborate with agencies and organisations that could provide health care to the populace and engender interventions that will strengthen the delivery of the public health system.
“Today, you can see and hear women in their productive age, community leaders and the private sector. We are also here to engender the need for routine health check-ups for our people and to strengthen emphasis on the need for routine immunisation.
“You can see nursing mothers with their babies here to receive vaccination, which is key to preventing vaccine-preventable diseases. We hope that with this collaboration, the Edo State Public Health will receive the needed breath. We urge mothers to take vaccines so that they will be able to break the chain of vaccine-preventable diseases.”
He urged the government and labour employers to provide better work environments and better pay for medical workers to reduce the tide of brain drain in the health sector, maintaining that such gestures would encourage health workers to stay in the system.
“We all know the implications of brain drain in any society; it means that our best brains are leaving the system.”
For his part, the National President of APHPN, Dr Terfa Kene, said the visit was to draw support for the Edo State branch of APHPN. He maintained that the association is doing everything to ensure collaboration with agencies that will help provide quality health services.
He advised nursing mothers to ensure that they complete their immunisation schedule to avoid vaccine-preventable diseases that could kill or disfigure children.
The Head of Department, Department, Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Dr Otaniyenuwa Eloghosa Obarisagbon said the program which other partners supported was organised to ensure that, “our mothers and their babies stay healthy and as well to encourage people to go for health check-ups, maintain hygiene, washing of hands whenever it is necessary. I believe that the message has been properly received. We want to thank the organisers, who have made the program possible,” she said.
She said that the reason for selecting Ovbiogie Primary Health Centre for the program is thatthere will be a scale-up for other facilities in the area soon.
Mrs Abieyuwa Ogbeide, local immunisation officer, Ovia North East, said the program is a mop-up for the local government immunisation program. She maintained that the local government has a high immunisation uptake and added that nursing mothers should not joke about completing their immunisation schedules.
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