Jigawa: Only 56.2% Pregnant Women Aware of IFA Benefits as NGO Expands Interventions
From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
A non-governmental Organization known as Nutrition International in partnership with the Jigawa government through FACE-PAM and SWODEN expanded its interventions from three to eight local government areas in the state.
This was announced by the state coordinator of Nutrition International Patrick Odeh while delivering his remarks during a one-day planning and quantification meeting on the Gender-responsive behavior change interventions project held on Thursday at B Nakowa Guest House in Dutse.
He explained that, initially the interventions on IFA and ANC was carried out at three local government of Dutse, Ringim and Jahun, but now expanded to Kafin Hausa, Taura, Gagarawa, Kiyawa, and Buji local government areas.
“The state government and Nutrition International (NI) after observing an increasing number of Anti-Natal Care attendance and high level of IFA uptake in the three local governments due to their project, now decided to expand the project to reach more five local government areas in the state,” he said.
While making her speech, the project officer FACE-PAM Gara Alheri Shiyya said, the project aimed at reducing maternal mortality and morbidity through an increase of Anti-natal care attendance and uptake of Iron Folid Acid by pregnant women.
Shiyya said that based on research only 56.2% of Jigawa women have knowledge benefits of IFA, 31% know how to overcome the barriers and 96% of pregnant women attend ANC only once while almost 78% of them took IFA only during the most recent birth.
According to her, the project now started yielding positive results by witnessing a high uptake of IFA, high turnout for ANC and reduction of maternal mortality and morbidity in the three initial local governments.
“The project will now focus more on an enlightenment campaign through media to promote the use of Iron Folid Acid among pregnant women and increase knowledge for both pregnant and influencers ( husband, parents, guidance among others) to allow for more ANC attendance.
She then appealed for more support from the community, traditions and family to collaborate with Nutritional International to save the lives of women and children in Jigawa.
Also speaking, the Deputy state Nutrition officer, Alhaji Musa Muhammad commended the Nutrition International for contributing their quota towards reducing maternal mortality and morbidity in the state.
Alhaji Musa who said, the collection of IFA by pregnant women is no longer a major challenge but rather the availability of IFA, urged partners to increase the quantity and make it available across the facilities.
He then, assured more support and cooperation from the state government for better health for women and children in Jigawa.
