Muhammad Jamil Abubakar
There is increasing compliance among pregnant women and caregivers as the Gombe State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), intensifies its integrated campaign to improve maternal health and child immunisation across the state.
Monitoring visits by Radio Nigeria Jewel FM to selected Primary Health Care (PHC) centres in Gidan Magani and Madaki communities within Gombe metropolis revealed a large turnout of pregnant women and mothers accessing antenatal care, routine immunisation and nutritional support services.
At the Madaki PHC centre, a pregnant woman, Zainab Auwal Garba, said she regularly attends antenatal clinics and has benefited from the multiple micronutrient supplements provided by health workers. She explained that the supplements have improved her overall health and that of her unborn child.
Zainab encouraged other pregnant women to take advantage of antenatal services and the supplements, noting that the micronutrients are not easily available in the open market. She expressed appreciation to the Gombe State Government, the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, UNICEF and development partners for the intervention, as well as her husband for his support.
Another beneficiary, Aishatu Muhammad, said the introduction of multiple micronutrient supplements has made a significant difference compared to her previous pregnancy, when she received only folic acid tablets. She added that her children also benefit from routine immunisation and vitamin A supplementation at the facility.
She urged pregnant women and caregivers to consistently visit primary healthcare centres for antenatal care and ensure their children complete their immunisation schedules.
Similarly, Amina Muhammad commended the Gombe State Government and UNICEF for introducing improved nutritional supplements, describing the intervention as more comprehensive and beneficial than previous efforts. She praised the state government for prioritising the health and wellbeing of women and children.
The report noted that the Gombe State Government and UNICEF recently launched the second round of the integrated National Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDs) and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) in Swa community, Balanga Local Government Area.
The campaign, flagged off by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau, is expected to reach over one million women and children across the state. It includes the administration of polio vaccines to children under five, vitamin A supplements to 770,852 children aged six to 59 months, and deworming tablets to children aged 12 to 59 months.
Health workers will also conduct malnutrition screening for children aged six to 59 months and distribute multiple micronutrient supplements to 214,126 pregnant women to improve maternal health outcomes.
The Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting Gombe State, disclosing that the agency has supplied more than 20,000 bottles of multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women and over 700,000 doses of vitamin A for children.
Dr. Rafique urged parents, caregivers and community leaders to support the campaign to ensure that no child is left behind, stressing that immunisation remains one of the most effective ways to protect children from preventable diseases.
The integrated campaign underscores the Gombe State Government’s continued efforts to strengthen primary healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes for women and children across the state.