The Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA), has trained health workers on Intergrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI), as Focal Persons (FP) who would step down the training in their respective Local Government Areas.
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The Executive Secretary, ASPHCDA, Pharm Chisom Uchem stated that IMCI programme was of high importance as it brings together Childhood Illnesses under one umbrella as it is what integration is all about.
“It is with the aim of prevention, early detection and treatment of leading childhood killer diseases such as, Acute respiratory infection (Pneumonia), Diarrhea, Measles, Malnutrition, Malaria and HIV.”
She urged the focal persons to always have at their finger tips commonly used IMCI drugs which includes; Paracetamol, amoxicilin, ACTs, zinc, ORS, Vitamin A, and Abendazole.
The Executive Secretary while urging on productivity, charged that the IMCI Focal Persons understand the context of their programme, be creative and innovative on activities to aid improve the betterment of children in communities.
Dr Nnamdi Placid Uliagbafusi, the Director Disease Control and Immunization ASPHCDA, while explaining key importance of IMCI, noted that it entails key Illnesses a child could have.
He emphasized that the training and supportive supervision exercise would aid sharpen the Focal Persons skills for effective service delivery.
“The IMCI programme calls for proper management of children. It is used to identify things that could be easily missed in examination of a child’s health and as such emphasises on a holistic approach to management of Childhood Illnesses.”
The IMCI Coordinator, ASPHCDA, Ms Victoria Mogbo gave a background of the IMCI programme, objectives of its creation, its strategy, and activities carried out in the unit.
Mogbo explained to the 21 LGAs IMCI Focal Persons on what the job entails which encompasses range of intervention to prevent and manage childhood illnesses by focusing on the child as a whole rather than on a single disease.
“IMCI is all about managing a child’s sickness in an Intergrated manner both in the health facility and at homes as it promotes appropriate care seeking behaviours, improved nutrition, preventive care, and implementation of prescribed care,” she explained.
The State Health Educator (SHE), Mrs Uju Onwuegbuzina noted that the Focal Persons were foot soldiers as IMCI, a key programme in the Agency involves children especially those under five years of age.
She emphasized that it was of essence and key importance for them to be versatile in their field.
Onwuegbuzina emphasized that parents and caregivers should always be educated on proper hygiene, Immunization which could aid boost immunity, proper nutritional values especially for children exclusively breastfed, and early antenatal registration.
IMCI Focal Persons for Onitsha North and Awka South LGAs, Mrs Ijeoma Apollonia Okoye and Mrs Patricia Eze both thanked the State Government and ASPHCDA for organising the activity which could aid their productivity in discharge of their duties.
The duo assured of their dedication to their jobs and prompt submission of real time data of happenings in the field.
The training which was held in ASPHCDA office complex Awka, also involved the state IMCI team, Supervisors for the Intergrated Supportive Supervision of the exercise across the 21 LGAs of the state.
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