To celebrate the maternal and child health month, the rotary club of Akowonjo District 9111 donated some material including baby’s cots, diapers, sanitary pads and other essentials items to expectant mothers as well as organised a counseling session on malaria, prevention and treatment during pregnancy and puerperium for mothers and child.
The event which took place at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Primary Health Centre, Akowonjo was aimed at educating pregnant women and nursing mothers on the need to take care of their health.
Speaking, the president, Rotary Club of Akowonjo, District 9111, Rotarian Ben Dare disclosed that part of the service of the Club is to attend to urgent needs of the masses especially in the area of health, education, welfare among others.
This is maternal and child health month and we are giving back to the society, to the indigent mother, to make sure that we are able to give them what they will be needing and educate them on the position that they are.
We are delighted that some organizations have partnered with us on this journey. We will continue to seek their support and partnership in various areas whenever duty calls.
We want people from around our community, environment to partner with us, to make it a lot easier for our community which is Akowonjo and its environs.
We intend to reach out to more women in the society, as well as children and the less privileged in the society because the cause of Rotary is to serve humanity.
We are just starting this project, being the first month in the rotary year, in the rotary calendar year, July and we intend to carry out more projects in the course of the year.”
The project Chair Rotary Club 2024/25, Dapo Bankole disclosed that about 60 pregnant women and nursing mothers received the health kits as part of relief. Items including baby cots, antenatal baby packages, diapers, sanitary pads, mosquito nets among others.
Rotary is continuous and there are other projects planned for every year. In September, we have basic education and literacy month. We would be donating books to the libraries of some of our schools, we are going to be donating chairs and tables to those schools and welcome packs to our children when they resume from vacation”.
In his counseling, Dr. Michael Agbaje, advised mothers to always listen to their health care practitioners, adding that adequate education is important when it comes to their health and well being.
“When it comes to maternal death, it is 80%-90% preventable and all of this is based on knowledge, when the pregnant women are aware of these very basic things including nutrition, paying attention to their health care workers, and being aware of the risk that they are exposed to.
“I am also calling on the government to come up with favourable policies, while private organisations, groups should join rotary club to continuously promote the basic level of health”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Officer in Charge of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Primary Health Centre, Famoroti Funmilayo expressed her gratitude to the rotary club for their generosity.
