Kaduna: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has partnered with the Kaduna State Primary Healthcare Board to deliver crucial health services to Kwarau town in Igabi Local Government Area (LGA).
According to Voice of Nigeria, Anne Carlson, the Deputy Coordinator for UNICEF New York, highlighted that essential services such as malnutrition screening, health services, immunization, and birth registration were provided to the community. These services are being delivered in collaboration with the government and other partners, focusing on families with young children.
Carlson emphasized the importance of continuing these services and expressed gratitude to the dedicated workers ensuring families can access them. Dr. Gerida Birukila, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office in Kaduna, noted that residents of the community often travel more than 10 kilometers to access healthcare. She explained that the community’s distance from the nearest health facilities makes it unique and underscores the need for mobile outreach initiatives supported by the Kaduna government.
Birukila detailed that the outreach addressed malnutrition, provided immunizations, and treated other ailments. She stressed the significance of bringing services to distant communities as a means of increasing uptake of life-saving interventions. Birukila thanked the Kaduna government and partners for their support and expressed a desire to expand services to reduce travel time and improve health outcomes.
Aisha Idris, the Local Immunisation Officer for Igabi LGA, stated that the outreach targeted zero-dose children, aged 0-11 months, for immunization. She added that medications and Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) were distributed to mothers with malnourished children, and iron folates were provided to pregnant mothers. Idris highlighted the village’s urgent need for health services, describing it as underserved and difficult to reach, making the intervention timely.
The Village Head of Kwarau in Igabi LGA, Kwarau Gari Ward, Alhaji Umaru Rufa’i, expressed gratitude to UNICEF and the Kaduna state government for their support. He welcomed any development that benefits the community and acknowledged the persistent health challenges faced by rural areas. Rufa’i thanked UNICEF for aiding in the mobilization and engagement of the community for the health outreach initiative.