No fewer than 350 women and children have benefitted from free medical outreach in Karonmajigi community in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The outreach was organised by Rotary Club of Abuja Imperial of Rotary International District 9127 Nigeria, in partnership with other organizations.
This initiative targeted pregnant women, mothers, and children under five, focusing on prevention and health education.
During the exercise, the president of the Rotary Club of Abuja Imperial, Rotarian Martins Awofadeju, emphasized the importance of supporting vulnerable groups to prevent illnesses and improve health outcomes.
He stated, “Due to their vulnerability to certain illnesses, this test will help us determine the necessary actions to take. This initiative, targeted at pregnant women and children under five, follows the programme we conducted in April this year. Its essence is to improve the health status of mothers and children in this community.
“Our focus is on prevention, which is typically better than cure. We aim to educate them on healthy practices and measures they can take to safeguard their health. We chose Karonmagiji because it is an underserved community with an IDP camp, where residents often lack income and access to healthcare services. Therefore, we need to consider their unique needs.
“We aim to strengthen collaboration and the local health system to ensure better attendance and participation from the community. Our target is to reduce maternal deaths and common illnesses like malaria. One of our prevention strategies is distributing mosquito nets and birthing kits to mothers with infants and pregnant women.
“Through this intervention, we believe we can significantly reduce malaria cases and maternal deaths. We will be conducting malaria tests, HIV tests, growth measurements for children, blood pressure tests, and blood sugar level checks.”
The outreach included malaria and HIV testing, child growth measurements, family planning counseling and services, distribution of birthing kits to pregnant women, distribution of sanitary pads to adolescent girls, blood pressure, and blood sugar level tests. The program also distributed mosquito nets to combat malaria.
Assistant Governor Belinda Chinwe Madubuike highlighted that the outreach aligns with Rotary’s focus on maternal and child health, a key area in their annual projects.
She expressed pride in supporting the initiative on behalf of Pioneer District Governor Mike Ukachi Nwanoshiri of Rotary International District 9127 Nigeria.
The State Coordinator for USAID-Breakthrough Action Nigeria, Ifeoma Chris-Okafor, praised the comprehensive services provided, including routine vaccinations and family planning.
She added that the provision of mosquito nets was particularly noted for its impact on reducing malaria.
The women’s leader of the Karonmajigi community, Mrs Zainab Musa, thanked the Rotary Club for their ongoing support and called for further assistance in education for the community’s children.
Director Program Operations, MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices, Ogechi Onuoha lauds the Rotary Club of Abuja Imperial for its comprehensive healthcare initiative. We look forward to more opportunities to collaborate and improve access to healthcare.
Onuoha said that MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices (MSI Nigeria) is fully committed to supporting 10% of all Public Health Care (PHC) facilities across the nation.
She emphasized that the organisation’s primary mission is to reach women and girls in underserved areas, ensuring they receive essential health services.
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