By Bashir Bello, Kano
A Non-Governmental Organization, known as Forward in Action for Education, Poverty and Malnutrition FACE-PaM has said that Kano and Sokoto states have the highest mortality of children as a result of diarrhea in the North West.
The Project Manager of the organization, Dabis Mwalike made this known during a meeting on Gender Responsive Behaviour Change Intervention project it organized in partnership with Nutrition International and support funding from Global Affairs Canada.
Mwalike said the indices were based on the National Demographic Health Survey NDHS 2018 which shows that the duo states have the highest prevalence in the North west region.
She said the indices informed the intervention by the organization in three local government areas in Kano and now scaling up to additional five LGAs with the sole aim of improving the childhood diarrhea treatment and reversing the indices.
According to her, “based on the National Demographic Health Survey NDHS 2018, it shows that Kano and Sokoto states are among the states that have the high prevalence rate of child morbidity and mortality as a result of diarrhea and that is why we are intervening in these states to see that we reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by diarrhea because it is preventable.
“And we are going to do that by promoting the uptake of Zinc and Lo-ORS combination for uncomplicated treatment of diarrhea in children under five years.
“So, previously, we have implemented the intervention (Zinc and Lo-ORS) in three local government areas and now, we are scaling it up to five additional local government areas and 50 Primary Healthcare Centre, PHCs (10 PHCs in each LGAs) to improve childhood diarrhea treatment outcome in Northern Nigeria.
“So we want to create awareness, to increase knowledge on the importance of prompt care seeking for childhood diarrhea. We want to promote Zinc and Lo-ORS as a life-saving intervention. We want to also improve skills in how to prepare and consume zinc and Lo-ORS. We are also going to work with community structures of religious, traditional leaders and Volunteer Community Mobilizers, VCM to support us in creating awareness using their different platforms.
“We are also going to build the capacity of healthcare workers by training them on diarrhea management so that they will be able to give that quality and effective services to caregivers when they come,” Mwalike said.
Earlier, the Director of Family Health, Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board SPHCMB, Dr. Aminu Sudawa said most of the mortality in children under five were attributed to diarrhea while commending the organization for the gesture which he said will go a long way to reverse the indices.