Gombe (Nigeria) — A Non-Governmental Organisation, Wildan Care Foundation, has advised Nigerian mothers to adopt the six months period of exclusive breastfeeding for their newborn babies.
Executive Director of the NGO, Zariyatu Abubakar, made the call in Gombe, northeast Nigeria, while speaking with AFRICA PRIME NEWS on the occasion of “World Breastfeeding Week 2017”.
She said exclusive breastfeeding would enhance the health of mothers and their children, as well as improve the immune system of the babies against killer diseases.
She urged women to desist from feeding their newborn babies with infant formula instead of breast milk.
Mrs. Abubakar said mothers need support the their families, health providers, communities, and governments to give their children the healthiest possible start to life, adding that breastfeeding protects children from illness, increases IQ, and creates a strong bond between mother and child.
Meanwhile, in a press statement, the WHO called on mothers to step up the culture of breastfeeding their children, saying, a new reportjointly by UNICEF and WHO in collaboration with the Global Breastfeeding Collective, shows no country in the world fully meets recommended standards for breastfeeding.
The statement said that “Global Breastfeeding Scorecard, which evaluated 194 nations, found that only 40 per cent of children younger than six months are breastfed exclusively (given nothing but breastmilk) and only 23 countries have exclusive breastfeeding rates above 60 per cent.”
It states that, “evidence shows that breastfeeding has cognitive and health benefits for both infants and their mothers. It is especially critical during the first six months of life, helping prevent diarrhoea and pneumonia, two major causes of death in infants. Mothers who breastfeed have a reduced risk of ovarian and breast cancer, two leading causes of death among women.
“Breastfeeding gives babies the best possible start in life,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO.
“Breastmilk works like a baby’s first vaccine, protecting infants from potentially deadly diseases and giving them all the nourishment they need to survive and thrive.”
The statement says the scorecard was released at the start of World Breastfeeding Week alongside a new analysis demonstrating that an annual investment of only US$4.70 per newborn is required to increase the global rate of exclusive breastfeeding among children under six months to 50 per cent by 2025.
Nurturing the Health and Wealth of Nations: The Investment Case for Breastfeeding, suggests that meeting this target could save the lives of 520,000 children under the age of five and potentially generate US$300 billion in economic gains over 10 years, as a result of reduced illness and health care costs and increased productivity.
“Breastfeeding is one of the most effective—and cost effective—investments nations can make in the health of their youngest members and the future health of their economies and societies,” said UNICEF Executive
Director Anthony Lake. “By failing to invest in breastfeeding, we are failing mothers and their babies—and paying a double price: in lost lives and in lost opportunity.”
The investment case shows that in five of the world’s largest emerging economies—China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Nigeria—the lack of investment in breastfeeding results in an estimated 236,000 child deaths per year and US$119 billion in economic losses.
Globally, investment in breastfeeding is far too low. Each year, governments in lower- and middle-income countries spend approximately US$250 million on breastfeeding promotion; and donors provide only an additional US$85 million.
Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has described the recent attack on its members in Kaduna, northwest Nigeria as frightening to the Union members across the country, signaling that the attacks on media are not going to abate soon.
lt observes that the attack on journalists in Kaduna on Sunday by politicians was a signal that they were bent on nothing but to destroy the Fourth Estate of the Realm in Nigeria.
The National Secretary of NUJ, Shuaibu Usman Leman, in a statement issued to newsmen expressed the Union’s dismay that political thugs sponsored by some dangerously reckless members of a political party invaded the Press Centre, venue of a Press briefing by some APC members of the National Assembly and attacked both Journalists and politicians, destroying media equipment and inflicting bodily harm on some Journalists.
“We regret to note that Kaduna is ingloriously attaining notoriety as the deadliest state for Journalists in Nigeria to operate with harassment of Journalists and increased repression of press freedom.
“As professionals whose responsibility is to monitor governance and hold government accountable to the masses, Journalists now live in perpetual fear of being arrested by security operatives or attacked by faceless assailants without any just cause.
“It is worth noting that press freedom is key to achieving credible democracy and this freedom includes the right to seek and receive information from all available sources to enable formulation of proper opinions to whomsoever one desires and to do so through whichever means it is feasible to communicate. Such attacks we believe are meant to curtail such freedoms,” the statement explained.
In the light of these unabated attacks and intimidation on Journalists, the statement observed, “We call once more on the Police and other Agents of the State, to immediately prioritize issues of security and safety of Journalists not only in Kaduna State but throughout the country as critical components of their programs.”
The Nigerian Police has arrested thirty two suspected kidnappers who have been terrorizing the Abuja — Kaduna highway.
Spokesperson of the Force, Jimoh Moshood said the suspects were arrested within the first week of the commencement of the operation Absolute Sanity, recently launched by the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force, Idris Ibrahim to complement and augment the on-going Joint Police/Military operations on the ground.
According to Jimoh, the suspects have made confessional statements indicating the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crime. “Most of them have been identified by some of their victims. They will soon be charged to court on completion of investigation,” he said.
While assuring residents of the area of safety, he appreciated them for the vital information they provided the Police, adding that, they should not relent in providing the security agencies with useful information.
Some of the items recovered from them include; four (4) AK 47 rifles, six (6) locally made pump action gun, and two (2) magazines.
Ibrahim Idris has recently deployed a Joint Police Team comprising Special Police Force, Police Mobile Force, Counter Terrorism Squad, Anti-Kidnapping Units, Intelligence Response Team, Special Tactical Squad, the Force Intelligence Branch, the Police Mobile Force with Headquarters at Rijanah, Kaduna State as well as redeployed all officers stationed along the Abuja-Kaduna highway in order to checkmate the incessant criminal activities on the highway.
Gombe (Nigeria) — Gombe State Government of Nigeria used to pride itself as running a free maternal and child health (FMCH) programme, but recently, the government allegedly suspended the programme for reasons the public, particularly maternal and child survival activists, consider to hold no water.
Analysts have also expressed shock and dismay over the decision which they say is “insensitive to the plight of the poor”. The question has been: why completely remove funding for a programme that was actually not fully addressing the problem, because of the insufficiency of funds?
Every day, Nigeria loses 2,300 under-five year old children and 145 women of child-bearing age, according to the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS 2013), which puts Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) at 576 deaths per 100,000 live births. The meaning, according to experts, is that out of every 100,000 women given births, 576 of them would die between conception of pregnancy to 42 days after delivery.
With about 7 million births annually, Nigeria records 40,000 maternal deaths yearly, and ranks highest in maternal mortality globally. The situation went bad this year, where Nigeria overtook India to become the country with the worst maternal death indices.
According to NDHS 2013, the northeast Zone, has the highest maternal mortality ratio of 1,549/100,000 live births, compared to 165/100,000 live births in the South West Zone. The highest neonatal mortality rate (death of infants within the first 28 days of life) is also in the North-East and North-West regions of the country.
Gombe State, in the north-east region, posts an MMR that is lower than the regional average but uncomplimentary all the same. With a projected population of 3,022,590, the state’s hospital-based maternal mortality rate is said to be much higher than the national average. For this reason, activists say the state government needs to restore FMCH immediately, otherwise the state’s maternal death ratio would follow the recent national pattern.
According to Dr. Ejike Orji, Chair of the Coalition for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Accountability in Nigeria (C4MAN), the national ratio, which was brought down to well under 500 by the national Midwives Services Scheme (MSS), shot up to the current level—576—after the abrogation of MSS last year. Most of the people our correspondent spoke with believe that if re-introduced, Gombe’s FMCH programme would help in reducing the death of pregnant women and children.
It is common knowledge that some of the underlying causes of maternal and child deaths in northern Nigeria are rooted in cultural and religious factors that make proven, effective modern healthcare inaccessible to women.
However, poor funding and inappropriate government policies are more directly related factors.
Musa Abubakar, who describes himself as a maternal and child health stakeholder in the state, says that poor access to quality and affordable healthcare, and lack of emergency obstetric care are factors working against maternal and child health in the state. Suspension of free access to these services can only make matters worse.
Experts point out that most maternal deaths are preventable, as the health care technologies to prevent or manage complications are well known. Pregnant women only need access to antenatal care, skilled care during childbirth, and care and support in the weeks after childbirth.
“It is important that all births are attended by skilled health professionals, as timely management can mean the difference between life and death for both the mother and the baby,” Abubakar explains.
He adds that unless there is urgent improvement in service access and timely release of funds budgeted for the health sector, the state would continue to record high numbers of maternal death.
Also speaking with our correspondent on funding, the State Chairman of Media Coalition on Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH), Alhassan Yahya, said that the allocation to the health sector is inadequate, and cannot “go round” in terms of providing health coverage for all.
“Looking at the approved budget in our health sector in 2016 and estimates for 2017, allocation to the health sector is grossly inadequate,” he also says.
“From our analysis, the percentage allocated to health was 9.7 per cent in 2016. This was grossly inadequate, looking at the population growth rate of 3.2 per cent and the influx of internally displaced persons.”
The consequence of poor funding and inappropriate policies is wide-ranging, activists say. All the primary health care centres are in poor condition and without adequate numbers of doctors, midwives, nurses and other health workers.
Gombe State has 615 health facilities comprising 592 primary health care centres, 22 secondary facilities, and one tertiary facility. The number of health care workers in the public sector in the state is 4,081. At 1,209, community health extension workers (CHEWs) constitute the majority; nurses and midwives follow with a strength of 1,150. Others are junior community health extension workers – 605; doctors – 163; community health officers – 114; environmental health officers, environmental health technicians, and environmental health assistants – 560; and more than 1,000 village health workers.
“Most maternal deaths are due to lack of skilled attendance at delivery, lack of access to obstetric emergency care, and poor access to family planning, among others,” said Mr. Abubakar.
He added that some of the maternal deaths occur due to a mix of harmful cultural practices, poor health services, poor health funding, transport difficulties, inadequate infrastructure, and social disorganization.
He therefore urges government to improve services in the health facilities, adding that skilled attendance during childbirth will reduce the number of deaths and the number of women who develop obstetric fistula, another major maternal problem.
It is known, however, that facility utilization will not improve simply because access has improved; there will be need to persuade women to embrace orthodox medical services. He therefore urges government to step up behavior change communications in this regard.
Mrs. Hannatu Luka, a retired midwife, says that many women who live in rural areas have no access to good health facilities, adding that when they go into labour, they have to trek long distances to get to a health facility. This is inimical to maternal health, because delays and unduly prolonged labour lead to birth complications such as obstetric fistula. She said prolonged labour is one of the five major causes of maternal death. She also said that government needs to implement some of the reproductive health policies that tackle the root causes of maternal death and obstetric fistula—delays in accessing emergency obstetric care—and invest more funds in emergency obstetric services.
“There is also the need to increase awareness about obstetric fistula at the community level; improve the health seeking behaviour of women at the community level; institute girl child education, women empowerment, poverty reduction, road networks, and other infrastructure,” Mrs. Luka said.
Investigations in Gombe State’s central and northern senatorial zones revealed poor amenities in health facilities, and total absence of safe delivery kits. Most of the facilities lack trained health workers such as midwives, nurses, and doctors to handle critical cases and emergencies.
At Nafada General Hospital, the Acting Chief Nurse, Mr. Maruwa Fware said that the maternity ward, which shares the same building with two additional wards—the children’s and women’s wards—has only three midwives, while 17 nurses and two doctors serve the entire hospital. He said there is urgent need for additional midwives, nurses, and professional health workers, as well as delivery kits, manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) sets, emergency drugs like oxytocin and misoprostol to save the lives of women.
At Bajoga General Hospital, Chief Nursing Officer Saleh Gadam, said that the hospital has three midwives, three doctors, and 32 nurses, and that there is need for more health workers in all categories to cover all the units in the hospital. Human resources are required to detect and appropriately manage common life-threatening maternal health issues such as pre-eclampsia before the onset of convulsions (eclampsia), adding that drugs such as magnesium sulphate (for pre-eclampsia) and drugs for other emergencies should be available in all health facilities to save the lives of women. At the moment, such drugs are rarely available in the required quantities.
Deba General Hospital, which is a 57-bed facility, has three doctors, two midwives, and three nurse-midwives. One of the doctors, who asked for anonymity, said the hospital is in bad shape in terms of manpower, equipment, and other necessities. He explained that a major problem is that primary health centres lack manpower to handle proper care of pregnant women from rural areas, adding that government needs to make health its second priority after education, as an unhealthy population cannot develop meaningfully or adequately exploit the opportunities provided by education.
Currently, he explained, the attention given education makes it the first, second, and third priorities of the government. He also said the government needs to get its priorities right now that development partners – the international donors to the health sector – are pulling out. The assistance of development partners has traditionally helped to make up for financial lapses in the health sector.
Ibrahim Bako Nafada, Director Primary Health Care in the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, says that primary health care is the first line of service delivery, adding that the agency has concluded plans to recruit more nurses, midwives, community health extension workers, and junior community health extension workers to help address the problem of maternal mortality in the state.
Also speaking on the matter, State’s Commissioner for Health, Ishaya Kennedy said the state government is not relenting in its efforts to ensure adequate maternal and child health.
One of the recent efforts of the state government to save the lives of pregnant women and children is the construction of an “ultra-modern” women and children hospital in the state capital. He said the hospital is equipped with modern facilities, and that it can compete favourably with its counterparts in advanced countries. “Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo is passionate about maternal and child health, hence the construction of the N1 billion facility,” he said.
Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF), has condemned the attack on the Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Kaduna State council by suspected political thugs.
A statement by AMDF Coordinator, Sekyen Dadik, described the Sunday attack as highly unruly and indicates the increasing threat on press freedom in Kaduna, northern Nigeria.
“Kaduna state in the last two years has become an unfriendly environment for journalism practice as a number of journalists have been threatened, attacked, taken to court and jailed.
“The last attack was clearly targeted at journalists as the thugs who wielded dangerous weapons matcheted a cameraman with Liberty Television, Lawal Muhammed, injured other reporters and damaged several items.
“The NUJ Kaduna state Council Chairman, Adamu Yusuf confirmed that other things missing and damaged at the secretariat include handsets, midgets, doors, windows, chairs and tables.
“As an organization that promotes press freedom, AMDF identifies with the Kaduna State council of Nigerian Union of journalists and calls on politicians to respect the rights of journalists to carry out their duties without fear of intimidation.
“NUJ Secretariat is not a political ground as such every political difference should be settled at political secretariats not at the NUJ Council secretariat with journalists as victims of the attack.
It is unfortunate that this attack is coming at a time when efforts of Nigeria journalists at being watch dogs of the society should be appreciated and encouraged.
“AMDF therefore calls on Security agents and the Kaduna State government to be sincere in its commitment to identify and deal with the sponsors and perpetrators of such uncanny acts against journalists as this will go a long way in rebuilding the confidence and trust of journalists in state,” she observes.
The Magistrate Court 1 sitting in Kaduna, northwest Nigeria Monday dismissed the suit filed by Kaduna State Commissioner of Police against Kaduna based Journalists, Midat Joseph.
According to the First Information Report, FIR, obtained by our Correspondent, Joseph and one other, were charged for criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance and injurious false hold.
Midat Joseph, the Kaduna State Bureau Chief of Leadership Newspaper was arrested on Wednesday 19th April, 2017 and detained by men of the Nigerian Police force, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and later released on bail orders by the same court after spending two night at the Police custody.
Mr. Joseph was arrested over a comment on a Whatsup platform group chat, where he contributed to a conversation.
He was detained on Wednesday 19th, at the metropolitan police station also known as metro police, by the CID from where he was transfered to the Kaduna Police Command Headquarters and also held over night by the CID in their Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) cell from where the duo were charged to court for prosecution.
When the matter came up for hearing without the appearance of the prosecutors, who had failed to appear in court for the first, second time, the presiding magistrate, Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Yusuf stroke the suit for lack of diligence prosecution.
The Judge’s decision followed an application from the counsels to the defendants, James Kanyip Esq and Maxwell Kyom Esq for the matter to be stroked out as a result of non-appearances of the prosecutors.
Messrs James Kanyip and Maxwell Kyom who relied on section 165 of criminal procedure court law of Kaduna State, asked the court to strike out the suit. The counsels also asked for an order restraining the Police or its agent from arresting Mr. Joseph on the same matter.
The judge who however, declined to grant the restraining order, discharged and acquitted the Journalist, one other of the offence they are been accused of.
Reacting to the judgment, Mr. Joseph, who was in tears, expressed gratitude to God, the Southern Kaduna team of lawyers, the management and staff of Leadership Newspapers, media colleagues, civic right organizations for standing in his support during the period of his trials.
He expressed confidence to the judiciary, adding that, “The judiciary is indeed the last hope of the common Man, the lies against me have been buried and may the name of the lord be praised.”
Kaduna (Nigeria) — An NGO, Save the Children International has commenced the training of 39 key players in the Heath Sector from Gombe northeast Nigeria on Change Management and the importance of Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR).
Speaking at the opening of the training in Kaduna, Save the Children Field Manager for Gombe, Altine Lewi, said, “This training is meant to strengthen service delivery at the PHC level. This is to consolidate the State performance in the recent score card 3 assessment where the state performed creditably well having scored 59% in the overall performance covering most of the thematic areas as released by the National Primary Health Care development Agency
“The training will enhance participant’s consciousness on the current situation and future position of the State’s Primary Health Care and strengthen the capacity of the key actors to address some gaps”, Ms. Lewi said.
“Under the National Health Act every state will need a single primary health care board whose job is to oversee and ensure the implementation of the state approach to primary health care, which give each state right to decide how its primary health care board will operate and called, provided it conforms to any mandatory requirement in the final National Health Act”, the field Manager added.
Speaking Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kennedy Ishaya commended Save the Children for support to the state in the health sector and assured the state government acceptance of the policy on the Change Management and Primary Health Care Under One Roof.
Gombe State Commissioner for Health Dr Kennedy Ishaya and other participants
He said “it is a welcome development to the state primary health care agency, ministry of health and the state in general.
The five-day training has as its participant Directors from Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency; Commissioners from Ministry for Health, Ministry for Local Government, Ministry for Finance and Justice; Chairmen House Committees, Health and Appropriations, MNCH Coalition and Health Reporters from various media organisations, including AFRICA PRIME NEWS.
…As Thugs Attack Journalists During Press Conference
By Amos Tauna
Crises crippling the unity of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kaduna State, northern Nigeria on Sunday deepens as APC Senators and House of Representatives members from the state, alongside other members of the party, under the auspices of APC-Akida group, kicked against recent election of the party congress delegates.
The APC-Akida faction is opposed to the leadership style of Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, whom they call a “tyrant”.
Thugs allegedly sponsored to disrupt the APC-Akida’s press conference to air their grievances during the delegates election injured a journalist and destroyed property at the Kaduna NUJ Secretariat, venue of the Akida’s press conference.
Addressing newsmen shortly before the attack at the NUJ secretariat, Spokesman of APC Akida, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, representing Kaduna North Senatorial zone, condemned the alleged purpoted party delegates election, saying, they were at the state party secretariat last Friday from 2:30pm waiting for the party leadership and observers from the national headquarters to conduct the delegate conference till 7:30pm nobody showed up.
Hunkuyi was flanked by Senator Shehu Sani, former APC gubernatorial aspirants, Isah Ashiru and Haruna Saeed Kajuru; servings Reps, Hassan Shekarau, Mohammed Usman, Musa Soba, Tijjani Ramallan, Audi Yaro Makama and Ambassador Sule Buba, among others.
APC Akida said it has written petition to the national leadership of the party rejecting what it called ‘selection of delegates’ for the convention and requesting the party to come and organise an acceptable delegates congress following the guidelines that would yield acceptable delegates from the state.
According to him, “The local government delegate election was scheduled for the party secretariat on Friday by 2:30pm to elect three delegates per local government to represent the local government as ad-hoc delegates at the APC national convention.
“We were there at the party secretariat until 7:30pm when we left but the acting Chairman, party leadership and national observers did not show up. All efforts to convince the leadership of the party to hold this congress failed instead somebody in the name of political adviser to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Alhaji Uba Sani gathered people together and confronted them with the list of delegates appointed for the convention.
“Our unanimous stand is that we are all products of election or those who wish to seek for one post or another, so why won’t we submit ourselves to the same people who elected us.
“We have written two petitions, one is addressed to the national chairman copying other leaders of the party stating that the process has been breached so they should fix another day to come and conduct the delegate election. We have also written to the national working committee to appeal that the election be conducted in line with the electoral guidelines,” Hunkuyi said.
Also speaking, Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central Senatorial zone, said the symptoms being shown by APC in Kaduna state is what killed PDP in 2015.
“In no way should anybody accept any list concocted in the Government House palace. We won’t bow down to any tyrant. A list was prepared and sent to Abuja, we would not accept it,” he explained.
On the thugs attack, political thugs had before the arrival of the APC-Akida group stormed the NUJ premises chanting that, they won’t allow the press conference hold.
However, despite the presence of about 30 armed policemen, few of the thugs made their way in, almost towards the end of the press conference and unleashed mayhem on journalists and left a cameraman from Liberty TV injured, while some cameras were destroyed and phones, tape recorders and other valuables were carted away.
But Gov. Nasir El-Rufai in a statement condemned the thugs attack on journalists, saying nobody would be allowed to stifle freedom of expression.
El-Rufai in a message to the Kaduna State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, through his media aide, Samuel Aruwan, said, “Having been briefed on the situation, the governor expressed sympathy with the NUJ and the persons that were harassed by the hoodlums.
The Governor directed that the security agencies should investigate and take necessary action against the hoodlums.
The Governor also directed security agencies to beef up security at the NUJ secretariat to protect journalists doing their duty.
“The media must not be hindered from carrying out their constitutional and professional obligations. The government of Kaduna State upholds the principles of free speech and respects the freedom of expression. Politics should not be a desperate game. And desperation should not be visited on journalists or any citizen,” El-Rufai said.
The attack on journalists is a reflection of the several attempts to muzzle freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Kaduna state. Many journalists have been kept in custody and are currently facing trials, as a result of journalism work in the state – in an attempt to silence them.
Gombe (Nigeria) — A Non-Governmental Organisation, Wildan Care Foundation, has advised Nigerian mothers to adopt the six months period of exclusive breastfeeding for their newborn babies.
