UNICEF commends ABSG, NOA over essential family practice
UNICEF at the weekend commended the Abia State Government and its partner, National Orientation Agency (NOA) over the implementation of the Essential Family Practice.
The Essential Family Practice is a UNICEF programme designed to improve the health of families and communities in Abia State.
UNICEF Communication for Development Specialist, Dr. Hilary Chidi Ozo, spoke at the end of one of its outing at Idima Abam in Arochukwu Local Government Area, stating that he was impressed with the response of the communities to the programme and expressed hope that in no time the practice would permeate the consciousness of the people and become part of their normal life.
Ozo said they were in the state “to support our partners to implement the range of community level interventions to improve the adoption of essential family practices.”
“I came here along with my partners from the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and several Ministries and departments of the Abia State government. We have come here to interact with members of this community.
“For me, this is the first time of coming this way, what a wonderful community, but essentially our focus was to see how they can improve the rate of adoption of essential family practices”, he said, expressing excitement with the level of the action plan initiated by the communities towards realising the programme.
The practices, he highlighted include the use of the insecticide treated nets, immunization, antenatal care, hand washing, safe excreta disposal and “stopping the traditional practices which may seem comfortable but essentially will continue to breed diseases and make our children and women sick.”
In her speech, Abia State Director of the NOA, Dr. Ngozi Uduma, said her agency as a member of the Social Mobilisation and Technical Committee (SOMTEC) was committed to the success of the programme.
“What we want to achieve is that the people particularly in the rural communities get to know what they should do for the well-being of the family especially women and children. What we do is to enlighten them to do the right thing,” Uduma said.
