By Onwa Ekor, Calabar
For the survival and wellbeing of children, the Enugu zonal head, social and behavioural Change Specialist, United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), Dr Hillary Ozoh, has charged parents, faith based organization and traditional Leaders to take the practice of routine immunization, ante natal care, exclusive breast feeding as well as water, sanitation and hygiene seriously.
Ozoh gave the charge during the grand finale of the UNICEF sponsored community engagement programme, a social behavioural change activity in Isong Inyang, Akamkpa local government area of Cross River.
“The survival of any society depends on its children and we must do everything humanly possible to ensure the survival of our future leaders and the action must start now.
“UNICEF is here because we are interested in the well-being of your children and we cannot be more interested than you the parents and community leaders so, I urge you to take action that will ensure that tomorrow will be better for them because if tomorrow is good, they will be strengthened and live healthy, even as the source of survival as a community would be guaranteed,” Ozor said.
He charged traditional rulers ensure that children rights and survival take centre stage in their various community meetings as this would chart a course for enabling a healthy community for children.
Raising hope for the State and country at large, the UNICEF envoy said, “Five years from now, we want to see a community whose children are not dying and are totally free from all incidents of avoidable diseases and living to their full potential to transform Nigeria.
“I am seeing a picture of Isong Inyang in five years time being completely transformed into a better community with prosperous children who are alive, healthy and thriving all over Nigeria and beyond .
In his opening remarks, State Director, National Orientation Agency, Deacon Ibor Otu, explained that since its establishment in 1946, UNICEF has worked tirelessly in ensuring the survival of children and that the gesture was extended to the five communities of Awi, Mbarakom, Njagha Achang ,Isong Inyang and Uyanga Communities in Akamkpa local government area to enforce the desired social behavioural change of the rural dwellers.
Ibor described the programme implementation journey as successful, imploring stakeholders to ensure adherence to the prescribed life saving programmes for the betterment of their families and community at large.
Cross River Director, National Population Commission, Stanley Itam, applauded UNICEF for its intervention programmes aimed at ensuring every Nigerian child is issued a birth certificate, free of charge.
Itam who was represented by Mr. Lawrence Idaku, Head, Boki local government area, lauded UNICEF which he described as dependable partner for piloting the digitalization of birth registration in the country and assured that the confidence reposed on the National Population Commission to ensure free birth registration in line with current realities, will not be taken for granted.
In their separate messages, Cross River Commissioner for Information, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang as well as his Health counterpart. Dr. Henry Ayuk, including the Director General, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu and General Manger, Rural Water Sanitation Agency, Chief Sunday Oko, lauded UNICEF for being a dependable ally to the State, promising to collaborate with them for the sustenance of an enabling environment for the implementation of their lofty programmes for the benefits and survival of children and pregnant women.
They assured that the administration of Prince Bassey Otu would continue to partner with UNICEF and other reputable organizations on any programme geared towards building a healthy State that will in turn ginger positive change in the socio-economic landscape of Cross River.
Earlier, Clan Head of Isong Inyang, Ntufam Paul Okon Ntui, had informed the UNICEF team that as part of measures to sustain the implementation of the six indicators, a Task-Force was set up in collaboration with local government agents to enforce the ban on open defecation.
He appealed to the state government and UNICEF to support the community with the establishment of a health post as community members travel over three kilometers to access the closest public facility, a practice he noticed does not encourage registration for ANC and other child survival programmes.
While highlighting on the journey so far and successes recorded during the community engagement exercise, the Programme Officer, NOA, Mrs Juliana Atialikong, disclosed that within three months of engagements, Isong Inyang and other four piloting communities in Akamkpa, recorded a surge in birth registration, Ante natal care, water sanitation and hygiene with increased awareness on exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding among the targeted mothers of under-five, stressing that, some communities are still lagging behind in the area of open defecation which calls for concern by all stakeholders.
She appealed to community heads, parents and faith based organisations to ensure the sustainability of the successes recorded in the course of implementing the programme which is targeted at the first 1,000 days of a child.
One of the star prize winners, Mrs Edoma Archibong, expressed her deep appreciation to UNICEF and the state for the opportunity to be part of the life changing programme, saying that the exercise was an eye opener to her and other members of her community who were tutored in the six thematic areas.
The overwhelmed Mrs Archibong and mother of two who is one of the women practicing exclusive breast feeding in Isong Inyang, promised to serve as a social behavioural change agent in the area because according to her, the prize she won had spured her to work as well as encourage other women on the practice.
Highpoint of the community engagement programme were quiz competitions which saw the overall best participating mothers who had the highest scores in each community carting home expensive wrappers, traditional dances, drama sketches on the six indicators and other side attractions to entertain guests.
