NEWS: EU/UNICEF Conduct Capacity Building Workshop as part of Intervention in Adamawa State

BY: Abubakar Mohammed

Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency in collaboration with EU/UNICEF is conducting a three day workshop to develop an Evidence Based Social and Behaviour Change Communication Strategy and work plan to promote positive social norms in order to improve the uptake and utilisation of MNCH/PMTCT services in the state. During the three day session, the participants are expected to deliberate on the current situation of maternal new born and Child Health, prevention of mother to child transmission, HTC, EID, PART in the state and highlight the key challenges affecting the uptake and utilisation of MNCH/PMTCT services.

The objectives of the workshop is to review the existing Social Mobilization/Communication Work Plan for eMTCT developed in 2013 using the body of knowledge from PHC reviews in the State and to implement, monitor and reviewed work plan of engagement for HIV positive social norms to support MNCH/PMTCT uptake and utilization among women in Adamawa State.

In his presentation the EU/UNICEF consultant in the state Dr. Bello lamented about the maternal mortality ratio in Nigeria. 576 deaths are recorded in every 100,000 live births he said and under five mortality rate is 158 and 128 per 1000 live birth while infant mortality is 97 and 69 per 1000 live birth  “Nigeria is only 2% of the world population but contribute  10% of world maternal deaths” he said.

Declaring the workshop opened, on behalf of His Excellency Governor Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla Bindow, the Executive Chairman Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdullahi Dauda Belel  thanked the workshop organizers and  urged the participants to stay focused throughout sessions so that the objectives of the workshop will be realize. He also use the opportunity to assure that Governor Bindow led Administration will transform and sanitize the health system particularly the primary health sector.

Investigation also revealed that presently, the European union and unicef are supporting the implementation of £30 Million euros project in Adamawa and Kebbi states. The project is aimed at reducing maternal new born and Child Health Outcomes. “This workshop is part of the project implementation stages” he said.

Participants of the workshop were drawn from:

a)   Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency

b)  PHC Authorities of 21 Local Government

c)   State Ministry of Health

d)  State Ministry of Information

e)   ADSACA

f)    NOA Adamawa State