Yobe strengthens child health outreach, briefs media on MNCHW, polio, SARMAAN II
By Ahmed Isah
Yobe State Primary Health Care Management Board has engaged media representatives on planned Maternal, Newborn and Child Health interventions and national immunisation campaigns.
Dr Umar Chiroma, Director of Immunisation and Disease Control and Incident Manager, Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), said the meeting was organised to deepen collaboration with print, broadcast and social media platforms.
He said the state, in collaboration with the Federal Government and development partners, had concluded plans for the November Maternal and Newborn Child Health Week scheduled for Dec. 8 to Dec. 12, 2025.
Chiroma said the exercise would provide routine health services, including micronutrient supplementation, deworming, immunisation and growth monitoring for women and children across the state.
He added that arrangements had been finalised for the November/December round of the polio Supplemental National Immunisation Plus Days (SNIPDs) aimed at reaching all children under five years.
According to him, the campaigns will require strong public sensitisation, making the role of the media central to the success of the exercise.
Chiroma said the state would also implement a new intervention for administering Azithromycin to children aged one month to 59 months in ten selected local government areas.
He listed Bade, Geidam and Gujba among the LGAs, noting that the selection was based on population projections and epidemiological considerations.
He said the interventions were designed to reduce morbidity and mortality among children, particularly in hard-to-reach and high-risk communities.
Dr Ibrahim Umar, who presented an overview of SNIPDs and SARMAAN II, said SNIPDs were designed to strengthen polio eradication efforts through mass vaccination of children under five years.
He explained that SARMAAN II, implemented by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), evaluates the safety and effectiveness of mass administration of Azithromycin to reduce under-five mortality.
Umar highlighted key household practices for child health, including exclusive breastfeeding for six months, appropriate complementary feeding from six months and adequate micronutrient intake.
He stressed the need for growth monitoring, birth registration and promotion of mental and psychosocial development to enhance child survival.
Umar said home management practices remained critical and listed essential newborn care, continued feeding during illness, prompt home treatment for minor infections and measures to prevent injuries as important actions for caregivers.
He outlined the recommended focus areas for the MNCH Week as exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, birth registration, ORS plus zinc administration and regular hand washing.
Our Correspondent reports that the engagement sought to improve media support for the dissemination of health information to communities ahead of the campaigns.
