*Pledges Support For FOMWAN/PACFaH
By
Chioma Umeha
Muslim community of Lagos State weekend, assured
their full support to work with Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in
Nigeria (FOMWAN) in collaboration with Partnership for Advocacy in Child and
Family Health Project.
This group made this pledge during a courtesy call
by FOMWAN/PACFaH to Central Mosque in Lagos Island soliciting the Muslim
community’s support in pressurising the government to get committed in the four
critical areas of child health which the FOMWAN/PACFaH’s advocacy is focused.
The areas include, proper management of childhood
pneumonia and diarrhoea, routine immunization, nutrition and child spacing by
increasing the budget to address them.
Hajia Adama Kachalla, the Programme Officer, while
speaking at the event also wants the Chairman of the Muslim Community of Lagos
State to educate his followers on the treatment of pneumonia and diarrhoea for
under-five children in accordance with the government’s guideline which is
adoption and listing of Amoxicillin DT as the first line drug.
Alhaji Fatimoh Balogun, Chairman of Muslim
Community of Lagos State, expressed joy over the visit saying: “I am extremely
delighted with your advocacy along with FOMWAN and other agencies. It is
fantastic and I assure you that you are actually carrying out part of the
duties of Muslim Community of Lagos State under health and social welfare. You
are helping us to carry out our programme, why won’t we support you?” he
rhetorically asked.
Commenting further he said: “We will give you all
the necessary support as we reckon the public health areas that you are
tackling – management of pneumonia and diarrhoea to be very important.
“This is because we know these diseases are great
killers in our community based on our statistics. Also, we have programmes for
routine immunisation, we have been visiting communities and donating vaccines
for immunising their children, a way of helping the government, government
cannot do it all.
“Then on nutrition, the enlightenment in this area
is very important, so also child spacing which is family planning,” he noted.
As a seal to their support, he gave out some
action plans which he drew to support FOMWAN/PACFaH’s advocacy.
“We need to formally write a comprehensive paper
on this. We will go with you to the Commissioner for Health as representative
of Muslim Community of Lagos State and other agencies of the coalition to make
a formal presentation of the paper to the government. We will also present the
comprehensive paper of our action plan to the Commissioner for Home Affairs and
equally highlight the need for budget allocation to child health.
He however, emphasised on public enlightenment,
saying that even when enough money is budgeted and released on those key areas
that the public needs to be educated on the importance of immunisation, child
spacing and others.
“Even if they devote 100 per cent of the budget to
health, it is how this money is being spent that matters. For example, in the
North sometime ago, vaccines were bought and people refused to take their
children to get vaccinated out of ignorance. But, if they understand the
importance of immunisation, that it’s for their own good, they will collaborate
and cooperate with us.
“I am going to suggest also that we have flyers
that will highlight the importance of these four factors that are great killers
here. The flyers will be distributed to the Muslim organisations,” he said.
Alhaji Balogun also pledged that members of the
Muslims Community of Lagos State along with its health and social welfare
committee are going to collaborate to ensure that the comprehensive paper with
action plans will be executed.
