Connect with us

Health

HYPPADEC engages 80 doctors for medical outreach to communities in Kogi

Published

on

Share this story

By Friday Idachaba

ONYEDEGA (KOGI) Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) in collaboration with Cedio Rural Outreach Ministry has engaged over 80 doctors to provide free medical and surgical services for riverine communities in Ibaji and Bassa Local Government Areas of Kogi.

Dr Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, Managing Director of HYPPADEC, flagged off a four-day free medical outreach in four LGAs in Kogi on Saturday at Onyedega, Ibaji Local Government Area.

Yelwa who holds the Chieftaincy title of “Katukan Yauri” said the flag off marked the first phase of the medical outreach in four out of the 10 Local Government Areas being covered by HYPPADEC in Kogi.

He described the programme as a “necessity” and “pragmatic” considering the terrains and importance of citizens’ health to nation building.

“This Commission is very much aware of the challenges being faced by communities in the riverine areas thus our resolve to provide the Communities with the needed infrastructure”, he said.

The MD who was represented by Jimoh Haruna-Gabi, Director, Admin and Finance, said the Medical Outreach was aside the provision of health facilities, boreholes and street lights in the areas being covered.

Yelwa expressed gratitude to CEDIO Rural Outreach Ministry, Ibaji Local Government Council Chairman, Mr Williams Iko-Ojo and the Eje of Ibaji, Ajofe John Egwemi for their support and cooperation to make this programme a reality.

Also speaking, Dr Peter Emuchay, Chief Medical Director (CMD), CEDIO Rural Outreach Ministry, appreciated HYPPADEC for the synergy and pledged to carry out the programme with utmost expertise.

Emuchay said that he came with more than 80 medical personnel drawn from various Teaching Hospitals across the country for the four-day programme.

He said the Outreach ministry has since 2011 been synergizing with the commission on the medical outreaches and that there has never been any issue or casualty during the periods.

Also, speaking, Ibaji Council Chairman, Mr Williams Iko’ojo, expressed appreciation to the commission for considering his people as beneficiaries of the good gesture.

The Eje of Ibaji, HRH John Egwemi, said, “We are short of words in thanking the Commission for the gesture done to the community in 2011, 2012 and this year, 2022.”

The Nigerian Pilot reports that the benefitting LGAs of the first phase of the HYPPADEC medical outreach is taking place simultaneously in Ibaji, Bassa, Ajaokuta and Kogi Local Government Areas.

The medical and surgical intervention are in the areas of diabetes, Hypertension, Malaria, Anthritis, Surgical and Hernia, Ganglion, Lipoma, Lump, Eye and screen, which include BP and sugar checks. (Ends).

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Health

Media professionals move to curb apathy towards HVP vaccination

Published

on

By

Share this story

From Daniel Abel Lafia

Media professionals under the auspices of Sustainable Media Advocacy Foundation (SMAF), on Wednesday promised to intensify media campaigns against the negative public perception of Vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus among young girls between the ages of 9 and 14 years in the state through intensive campaigns.

The foundation Chairman, Mr. Kalu Idika made this known at its advocacy meeting organized to review its activities in Lafia.

According to the SMAF Chairman, the objective of the organization is to promote media engagement for sustainable development.

“We are available to partner with any group to create every necessary awareness for people at the grassroots level.

“We are registered professionals ready to partner with any interested organization to sensitize, promote, and reach out to the nooks and crannies of the state in any field of endeavor.

The chairman, however, recalled that the foundation had undergone several trainings and have also engaged in sensitization in the area of safe sex among adolescence, maternal mortality in partnership with local and international Non Governmental Organizations, (NGOs).

Mr. Kalu noted that the foundation is currently partnering with the National Primary Health Development Agency, (NAPHDA), to ensure girls between ages 6-14 receive vaccination against the Human Papilloma Virus, HPV launched by Governor Abdullahi Sule.

Kalu, however, stated that the Foundation has undertaken many activities in the past as well adding that they enjoyed technical support from International organizations and Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NAPHDA),

Mr. Ishaya Amegwa, who represented the state’s health educator, commended the foundation in ensuring adequate awareness against the myth and misconceptions about the vaccine.

With the help of the media engagement, more people are coming out even as parents are bringing their girls within the age bracket to receive the vaccine.

‘The media came to our assistance and created the necessary awareness that we needed at that time to encourage the young girls to avail themselves for the vaccination.

In a remark, the Research Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support Lead of The Challenge Initiative, Taco, Oluwafemi Timothy Rotimi, commended SMAF for the collaboration commencement and implementation of its programme in the state.

Rotimi also noted that the Foundation had reached out to various communities and the public through its media platforms in order to communicate the positive outcome impacted on the wellbeing of the people of the state.

Continue Reading

Health

Malnutrition: USAID doles out RUFT worth 3.5 million Dollars to Nigeria

Published

on

By

Share this story

The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated 60,000 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUFT) to Bauchi, Kebbi, and Sokoto States to mitigate severe acute malnutrition in Nigeria.

USAID in a press statement made available to journalists after the official handover of the RUFT in Abuja on Thursday, said the approach became necessary as millions of Nigerian children are being affected by malnutrition.

The agency stated that the approach is in collaboration with the Nigerian government, to strengthen local RUTF manufacturing, as well as incorporate RUTF into state health systems such as health insurance, drug revolving funds, and health budgets.

The statement reads in part, “The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), donated over 60,000 cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)-valued at $3.5 million to the governors of Bauchi, Kebbi, and Sokoto states in Nigeria. The handover is part of USAID’s bid to expand access to treatment for severe acute malnutrition.

“In Nigeria, severe acute malnutrition remains a significant public health concern, affecting 3.6 million children. With challenges of food insecurity, limited access to quality healthcare, and inadequate nutrition interventions, multisectoral collaboration and innovation is needed. Expanding sustainable local access to affordable, life-saving nutrition commodities is essential to address severe malnutrition in Nigerian children.”

The agency added that the approach also  improves the quality of groundnut inputs for manufacturing RUTF, to strengthen the quality of nutrition health services and to integrate humanitarian nutrition services more sustainably.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, USAID Mission Director, Melissa Jones said, “Reducing malnutrition is a critical component of improving health, education, and inclusive economic development.

“We commend Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health for including RUTF and other nutrition commodities in the list of essential medicines. Doing so allows this life-saving essential food to be procured and made available at all health facilities.”

Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau, commended USAID for its interventions in Bauchi.

Jatau gave the indication while receiving 17,500 cartons of RUTF donated by the USAID to the Bauchi State government.

The Deputy Governor said to reciprocate  the gesture, the administration of Governor Bala Mohammed would continue to fulfil the obligations of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU.

Continue Reading

Health

Diphtheria Outbreak: UNICEF Donates 3.1 m Vaccine Dosages

Published

on

By

Share this story

By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has donated 3.1 million Diphtheria vaccines as part of the organization’s response to Diphtheria out break in the country.

This was disclosed by the UNICEF country Director, Ms Christian Manduate while speaking during a courtesy visit to the JIgawa state governor, Malam Umar Namadi Danmodi at government house Dutse.

The country Director promised a continuation with interventions and technical support for the improvement of education, healthcare, birth and death registration in the state.

According to her other areas of its intervention included Child Nutrition and other aspects of economic and human capital development

Ms Christian Manduate commended governor Namadi for achieving milestones on child protection and development in the state.

She said JIgawa state is among the beneficiary of the 3.1 million vaccines from the UNICEF.

Ms Manduate appealed to the governor to be part of their advocacy team in northern states, as she promised to provide more technical assistance through training of Jigawa health workers.

According to the country Director, despite effort made by Jigawa government to fight five child killer diseases there are numerious challenges on the high number of malnourished children in the state.

She maintained that, most of the Diphtheria victims are unimmunized children with zero dose record, adding that UNICEF will continue collaborate with the government to improve nutrition and reduce the number of out of schools children.

In his response, the JIgawa state governor Malam Umar Namadi lauded UNICEF, saying that their interventions are yielding fruitful result in almost all the critical sectors in Jigawa.

Governor Namadi promised to timeously release counterpart funds to UNICEF, indicating that the state government has gone far on it’s plan to involve Almajiri system into formal education system, to reduce the number of out of school children.

He commended the UNICEF team for visiting Jigawa and promised that he is opened for more collaboration to save and improve the lives of children in the state.

Continue Reading

Trending