2018 MNTE campaign: Stakeholders advocate synergy between media, health sector

2018 MNTE campaign: Stakeholders advocate synergy between media, health sector
By Kevin Okunzuwa
Collaboration
Benin, Oct. 3, 2018 (NAN) Stakeholders have called for effective collaboration between the health sector and the media to achieve great success with the planned 2018 national Maternal Neonatal Tetanus Elimination (MNTE) vaccination campaign.
The stakeholders made the call in a communique issued on Wednesday at the end of a one-day media orientation meeting for the 2018 MNTE in Benin, Edo.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes UNICEF as saying that MNT is a swift and painful killer disease that kills new born and sometime the mother.
According to UNICEF report, MNT killed no fewer than 34,000 new borns in 2015 alone while a significant number of women also die to due to maternal tetanus every year.
The meeting had over 40 media practitioners drawn from the electronics, print and online media including participants from health institutions from the six states of South-South geo-political zone, with support from UNICEF.
The communiqué resolved that media practitioners should use their platforms for the dissemination of information about the upcoming MNTE holding between Oct. 18 and Oct. 11.
They resolved that media practitioners should endeavour to feature officials from states owned health institutions and other health experts in their platforms for discussion on MNTE-related issues.
Part of the resolutions include “to help dispel rumour by communicating correct messages about MNTE campaign; to participate in monitoring the implementation of the 2018 MNTE campaign’’.
The stakeholders also resolved to use their platforms “to advocate to political leaders to support the campaign with timely release of counterpart funds and other materials needed for a successful campaign’’.
The participants appreciated that the overall aim of the campaign in Nigeria was to improve immunisation coverage of MNTE and reduction of deaths among women and children in the target local government areas of the six implementing states for the campaign.
The stakeholders agreed that advocacy, communication and social mobilisation, adequate financing, proper planning and human resource development strategies would help to attain the desired coverage during the campaign.
NAN reports that the target states include Edo, Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers and Rivers.
UNICEF health expert, Dr Kizito Ozoh, in an overview, said MNT represented a very high proportion of the tetanus disease burden due mainly to inadequate immunisation services, limited or absent clean delivery services and improper post-partum cord care.
He noted that Nigeria remained one of the 16 countries yet to eliminate MNT, adding that the states in the South-South had been identified to be high risk zone. (NAN)
KOO/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola