By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
A women health advocacy group (Mama to mama), in Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State, on Friday commended the United Nations Children’s Fund, over her community service initiatives.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that Mama to mama, a women health advocacy group, supported by GAVI through UNICEF, is an initiative to improve women’s health and reduce the mortality rate of women during childbirth in ruler Communities.
Mrs Rukiya Muhammad, mama to mama leader in Lau ‘A’ Ward, Mrs. Nyatasha Rukanu and Mrs Felicia Habila, told journalists during a field visit in the area that the coming of Mama to mama has reduced the health challenges of women in the area which hitherto happened due to ignorance.
“We want to commend UNICEF for the mama to mama initiative. The idea has improve the health of women in this community. Before now, we were ignorance of our health but the coming of Mama to mama by UNICEF has change our situation,” they acknowledged.
Also, Mr Muhammad Garba, a health personnel in charge PHCA facility in Lau said, following the mama to mama health awareness in the area which 95 per cent of women have keyed into, pregnant mothers and other vulnerables were being treated free due to the support from the basic health care provision insurance support fund.
Meanwhile, Mr Danjuma Danumar Lau, the community leader appealed to the Taraba State Government to support the mama to mama volunteer women group to burst their moral for more community services.
Earlier, Ms Jennifer Dabo the UNICEF Social Behaviour Team Lead in Taraba State, and Mrs Christiana Habila Habu. Assistant State Health Educator for advocacy and health promotion, Taraba state primary health care development agency, explained during a meeting with journalists in Jalingo that the Mama to mama initiative by UNICEF was to identify and sensitise women on health matters.
“Mama to mama is a mothers supporting mothers initiative to help improve the health of women in ruler Communities who are ignorance of their health challenges.
“The idea is to sensitize the women about their health, reduce the mortality rate of women especially during childbirth. Mama to has 5040 members in Taraba, with 30 members each per ward. Each ward has three groups with ten members each,” they explained.
