By Chigozie Chukwuleta
The Health and Community Care Foundation, HACEY, in partnership with Bank of Industry under Project Agbebi has concluded a two-day maternal health outreach for pregnant women and nursing mothers in Anambra State.
Organisers distributed 300 birthing kits to beneficiaries across two primary health facilities during the outreach
The intervention, which began on Wednesday, was held at the Model Primary Health Centre, Nkpor Uno, and the Primary Health Centre, Abor Village, Umuoji in Idemmili local government area of the state.
Each facility received 150 birthing kits containing soap, a surgical blade, and a mat for distribution to pregnant women.
Anambra State Coordinator of HACEY, Chioma Elo-Okoye, said the programme is a maternal intervention initiative designed to promote safe pregnancy and reduce maternal mortality across Nigeria.
She said the outreach anchored on the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies is focused on teaching women practical steps for safe birthing, personal hygiene, emergency response, and financial and mental preparedness.
Elo-Okoye said participants were taught to go to the clinic early for antenatal care, attend all clinic check-ups, deliver in a health facility, and return for postnatal check-ups.
They were also advised to eat good food, take prescribed drugs, rest well, maintain hygiene, save money for childbirth, and recognise danger signs that require immediate hospital attention.
The danger signs highlighted include bleeding, swollen face or hands, strong headache, convulsions, fever, and reduced or absent baby movement.
She said 18 health workers, nine each from Nkpor Uno and Umuoji, were trained on modern maternal care techniques using videos and role-play demonstrations.
She informed that HACEY also created a WhatsApp support group to connect pregnant mothers with trained health workers for information and advice, with an emphasis that the group is not a substitute for hospital care.
On mental wellbeing, Elo-Okoye said women were encouraged to talk to trusted persons, seek family support, join women’s support groups, and ask for help when overwhelmed.
For financial readiness, participants were taught to save money early, plan for hospital delivery and transport, and keep extra funds for emergencies, in line with the Financial Tips shared during the programme.
She said that major desire of the project is safe motherhood for every woman, a situation where mothers will go in, give birth, come out alive with their children alive and go home happy.
Beneficiaries who spoke at the outreach commended HACEY for the initiative.
HACEY said the remaining birthing kits were left with staff of the two facilities for other pregnant women who will visit the centres after the outreach.
