Group trains health workers on maternal iron, IFA uptake

The Nutrition International (NI), has trained at least 75 health workers in Katsina State to create demand generation for maternal Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics.

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The FAcE-PaM state Coordinator of the BCI project, Mr Hussaini Abba, said during the two-day training in Katsina that the exercise was funded by NI.

The training was organised through the Behaviour Change Intervention (BCI) FAcE-PaM project, a Civil Society Organisation.

According to him, the health workers were selected from Rimi, Kaita, Daura, Dutsi and Mani Local Government Areas, with each having 15 participants.

He said that the goal of the training was to promote the use of lFA and ZINC LO-ORS among pregnant women and contribute to the improvement in their health and those of their babies.

He said that the training would also help to bring about changes in social and gender norms through multiple communication channels and tools to influence desired changes.

“It is also to increase their knowledge on benefits, support positive attitudes and skills that enable them to practice the desired behaviuor and explore cultural and social norms, gender barriers, knowledge, attitudes and practices of community health workers and community volunteers.

“The project had the objective to increase knowledge among pregnant women and influencers (peers, husbands, partners, family, etc.) on the benefits of attending at least four antenatal cares (ANCs), starting from early pregnancy.”

He also said that it would help to increase knowledge among pregnant women and their influencers of IFA and its benefits for the health of pregnant mothers and their infants.

According to Abba, the aim is also to support positive attitudes and skills among pregnant women that enable them to take IFA daily throughout pregnancy.

“It is also to promote and appeal through religious leaders for family and community support to pregnant women to practice the desired behaviour supporting daily IFA throughout pregnancy, early and continued ANC attendance.”

He said that the training was conducted with the support of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Nutrition Unit to complement the effort of the current administration in providing adequate nutrition to pregnant mothers.