A  non-governmental organisation, HACEY health, has donated treated mosquito nets, blood sugar and blood measuring machines to internally displaced persons camp (IDP) in Kafanchan, Jama’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The donations were made during a medical outreach by the organisation to mark the World Health Day. The IDPs were also offered free medical services during the outreach.

Speaking with journalists in Kaduna after the event, HACEY health State Coordinator, Jennifer Agbaji, said the world health day, which was celebrated around the globe, provided an opportunity for HACEY health to reach underserved communities.

“We decided to reach out to the IDPs in Kafanchan, Jama’a Local Government Area to create awareness on health issues and offer free medical services. We also donated Blood Sugar testing machine and Blood measuring machine to the IDP as well as treated mosquito nets to pregnant and nursing mothers at the camp. We tested and treated blood pressure and malaria,” she said.

According to her, there are 337 households and 1,952 people at the camp, mainly women and children, most of whom were widowed and orphaned as a result of the attacks in the area, adding that the IDPs were enlightened on the causes and prevention of malaria, hypertension, diabetes which, according to her, are silent killers.

“We spoke to them about some health issues like malaria, diabetes, HIV, hypertension and personal hygiene. We told them that malaria causes malnutrition in children under five years. We educated them about symptoms of malaria and how to prevent malaria. We educated them about hypertension, which is a silent killer and the need to be checking their blood pressures from time to time. We also told them how hypertension can damage the heart and other blood vessels which can lead to stroke, heart attack and dead”, Agbani said.

Source: THISDAY NEWSPAPER

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As part of activities marking the 2022 World Health Day, Hacey Health Initiative has conducted free medical tests for over 300 women in Ijedege Local Community Development Area (LCDA) in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State on malaria, HIV, and Diabetics. 

Speaking at the event, the Programme Officer, Hacey Health Initiative, Bamidele Oyewumi, stressed the need for individuals, society and community to take ownership of their communities be conscious of how they treat the environment, “because it will affect how we treat the planet in general.”

He stated the medical outreach has provided opportunity to educate the women on communicable and non-communicable diseases that affect women and young people in the community, adding that this will ensure that everyone in the community lives healthy lives and reduce disease transmission.” 

He also hinted that communicable and non-communicable diseases have high prevalence in rural communities, noting that as an organisation want to ensure that they would be able to improve the life and productivity of women and girls, in rural community. According to him, “In organising the event, we have the support of Access Bank Plc and we are doing it simultaneously in Kaduna State. With the increase of education, we now see more people that take ownership of their environment. So we want to sensitise people to take ownership of their environment to ensure that what we do add positively to the planet. At Hacey Health Initiative, we believe that knowledge is power, we know that when people are informed that they will make right decisions for them, themselves, we have trained various people and community leaders on clean water and sanitation. It is important that what we use daily to survive which water is one of them is well taken care of. Today, we have sensitized the beneficiaries of this project, to make sure that cleanliness and hygiene is one of their priorities, especially because it is their environment and will limit the disease and the infection that their children are vulnerable to.”

Source: THISDAY NEWSPAPER

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Hacey representative, Bamidele Oyewunmi, who lamented the prevalence of FGM practice, which he said caused irreversible damage to the victims and as well violation of their rights, called on governments to take necessary steps including review of the implementation and enforcement of the policies and laws on FGM.

Oyewunmi, who spoke in Ado Ekiti at a one-day capacity building workshop on FGM laws and policies said, “The state government can ensure that all policies and laws already existing are strengthened including the application of fines as stated in the legal documents. This will educate people on the consequences that the practice of the act of FGM/C will attract”.

Hacey, however, called on stakeholders including community members, media organisations, NGOs, and religious cum community leaders/influencers on continuous and periodic engagement with members for education on FGM, how to eliminate the practice, and the need to encourage victims to speak up.https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.513.0_en.html#goog_1012624022

A speaker, Mrs Olukemi Akinleye of Ekiti State Ministry of Health, who said that the workshop was targeted at building capacity for media personnel as major stakeholders in curbing the menace, said, “We want to encourage people to speak out whenever they see people perpetrating this act. When this is reported, the government will take necessary action against it.

“We still notice that people are still doing it for cultural beliefs and traditions. We want to use this medium to encourage people that FGM is an act that brings a lot of consequences to the girl child and women. It has to stop,” she said.

Legal expert and Head of Ekiti State Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Rita Ilevbare, who spelled out punitive measures for breach of the state anti-FGM law, said, “We want people to know that there is a law and how it works. The essence of the law is not to fold hands and allow this gender-based violence to take place but programmed towards prevention.

“More importantly, the citizens need to know that there is a law that has punitive effect, especially FGM. The penalty is nothing less than two years imprisonment and nothing less than N200,000 fine,” Ilevbare.

Source: PUNCH

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