Kemi Busari
The fight against diarrhoea took an impressive turn yesterday as Save the Children, an advocacy and campaign group organized an awareness meeting with stakeholders in Somolu and Bariga Local Community Development Areas (LCDAs).
The meeting which took an interaction, discussion and lecture form was organized with support from Reckitt Benckiser to sensitise the community dwellers on the need to raise battle against diarrhoea under the Stop Diarrhea Initiative (SDI).
Presenting the SDI project, Mr Lukman Afolabi, the Advocacy and Campaign Officer of the project emphasized that the organisation is mostly concerned about the wellbeing of children in the two LCDAs.
He added that mothers should observe the 7 point plan of the World Health Organisation (WHO) with proper hygiene as 80% of diseases could be prevented if hands are well sanitized.
“The 7 point plan is divided into two; the preventive and the treatment which our mothers must observe to make their children healthy. The treatment includes replacement with fluid through Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and zinc treatment and for the preventive part, we have vaccination, early and exclusive breastfeeding, improved water treatment, community total-led sanitation and hand washing.”
Afolabi noted that the choice of the Bariga and Somolu LCDAs is based on favourable indices revealed from a survey conducted across the state adding that the people must embrace and support the project to check the disease.
Speaking on the achievements and challenges of the program since it started in 2015, Mrs Kemi Adeyanju, the SDI Campaign Coordinator said the people of the LCDAs are supportive of the initiative.
“The project is to run for four years and our aim is to reduce the mobidity and mortality rate that arises as a result of diarrhoea. In 2015, we enjoyed tremendous participation and support from the people, we trained and recruited the Community Orientated Resource persons (CORPS) who does house-to-house education of treatment and prevention, we monitor budgets at all levels to make sure that implement policies on women and children, we organized trainings for health workers, renovated health facilities and place series of radio and television adverts to widen our audience.”
On challenges, she said that some of the CORPS volunteer who was recommended by the community was rejected due to immaturity.
Mrs Kemi said that the SDI is a signature project and will be extended beyond 2018 especially through the community participation approach which allows the community to stand on their own with the presence of trained volunteers.
In his reaction, Chief Waheed Hassan, the Baale of Orile Bariga said that the people of the community are happy to associate with the project and eager to see the success.
While urging them to embrace prevention rather than cure, he thanked the organizers for bringing the project to the community.
Save the Children is an international organisation which invests in childhood and the future of children in areas of education, child protection, health and nutrition among others. The organisation is present in more than 120 countries of the world.
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