The Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency has advocated for male involvement in mobilizing pregnant women to attend at least four Antenatal Care (ANC) visits to reduce complications arising from pregnancy or childbirth.
The chair of the agency, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, stated this on Tuesday at an orientation course for 10 co-opted members of the Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Advocacy core group held in Bauchi .
“Pregnant women are expected to attend at least four and a maximum of eight ANC visits before delivery.
” After which she is expected to go on postnatal visits, immunisation, practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child’s life, and also to practice child spacing,” he said.
He urged the co-opted members to create awareness at weddings and naming ceremonies, as well as house-to-house visits, to mobilize women to change their health behaviors, stressing that men need to be fully involved in supporting their wives through the child bearing period..
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the SBC advocacy core group has 60 members , with 10 additional co-opted members, to serve as advocates, who use their influence to mobilize support and resources for maternal, newborn, child health and nutrition interventions, including malaria and Tuberculosis in the state.
They also advocate for positive change of harmful social norms, beliefs and practices related to RMNCH+N to individuals, families, communities, government, religious institutions and other stakeholders.
Mohammed further commended Breakthrough Nigeria, a Non Governmental Organization (NGO), behind the group, noting that their impact would translate to improved health of women and children.
Earlier, the Bauchi State Coordinator, Breakthrough Nigeria, Mr Usman Inuwa said the project’s goal was to change the narratives on health behaviors with respect to malaria, maternal newborn, child health and Nutrition, family planning and Reproductive health.
He said SBC Advocacy would be implemented in 129 wards across 11 local government areas of the state.
The SBC-Advocacy Core Group, has religious and traditional leaders as members, and is a component of Breakthrough Action Nigeria that has a strategic pillar for influencing gender, other social norms, other beliefs and practices that influence behaviors.(NAN)
