Plateau Attracts Pregnant Women to Antenatal Clinics with Incentives
The Plateau Government has adopted the use of incentives to attract pregnant women to attend antenatal clinic to reduce maternal and infant mortality in the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kunden Deyin, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Jos that all expectant mothers who attend antenatal care in the various primary healthcare centres would receive free Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLINs).
Deyin explained that the strategy would spur more pregnant women in the state, especially those in rural areas, to seek antenatal care.
The commissioner said that antenatal care visits during pregnancy saves the lives of the mother and child.
He added that children, who have completed routine immunisation, particularly Penta3, would also collect the LLINs, saying that the act would encourage more parents and guardians to avail their children and wards of the various immunisation.
According to him, this will also help to reduce to the barest minimum, infant and children deaths caused by preventable childhood diseases.
He advised parents and caregivers to ensure that all children under five years and pregnant women sleep under the nets at all times to prevent malaria.
Deyin further disclosed that the state government was also revitalising the Drug Efficacy Testing Centre at the Barkin Ladi General Hospital to ensure that the Malaria drugs given out were actually efficient in the treatment of the disease.
He said that the state government has ensured the constant supply of Artesunate injection for the treatment of severe malaria cases in secondary and tertiary health institutions across the state and Rapid Diagnosis Test Kits to further reduce malaria burden.
By: (NAN)
The Punch News
