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AMAC reunites 100 marriages in 2018 – Official

AMAC reunites 100 marriages in 2018 – Official
By Bukola Adewumi
Marriages
Abuja, Jan. 17, 2019 (NAN) The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in Federal Capital Territory said it resolved and reunited not less than 100 marriages that were at the edge of collapse.
Mrs Ramatu Abdulrahman, the Head, Social Welfare department of the council, disclosed this in interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
She noted that the reconciliation of broken marriages was a great success on the part of AMAC because “when families are united, the nation is united,” said the official.
Abdulrahman expressed optimism that more results would be achieved this year if the Chairman of the council, Mr Abdullahi Candido, provides the department with better working tools.
She regretted that most residents have been taking their challenges to the wrong places where they could not get help.
She noted, for instance, that most couples who had problems take such to friends, family members, religious leaders, traditional rulers or courts for intervention, and this most times do not end well.
“We thank God, now people have started knowing more about us and our activities in the department. We were able to settle more than 100 marriages in 2018.’’
She said that the issue of divorce was very common among young couples, sometimes after marriage of two, three months or one year they come to us that they want to divorce over little issues.
“When we go into details we discovered that the interference of third parties was responsible for some breakup of most marriages.
“Another problem we discovered is the fact that many married couples refused to go for counselling before they were joined together either in the church, mosque or court.
“God he is helping us to settle some marriage problems, we have NGOs that we partner with as a form of networking and we go for home visitation unexpectedly to see how the couples are doing,’’ she said.
Abdulrahman advised couples to prepare their minds psychologically before they contract their marriages.
“This office we are using now is not too conducive, sometimes we have more than three to four cases to attend to and we like to give our client some secrecy.
“We need a social case room that is well equipped with recording items and comfortable seats because people can always deny what has been said if not recorded.
“We also need a comfortable place where our clients can sit and relax so that they will have confidence in the social workers and they will open up to us,’’ she said.
Abdulrahman, however, appealed for separate allocation of funding to assist the social welfare department achieve its obligations.
She attributed major collapse of marriages to lack of advice or counselling. (NAN)
BOL/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Immunisation: AMAC threatens to sanction erring traditional rulers

Immunisation: AMAC threatens to sanction erring traditional rulers
NAN-HG-1
Polio
By Mustapha Sumaila
Abuja, Jan. 19, 2018 (NAN) Alhaji Abdullahi Candido, the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), has threatened to sanction traditiona ruler who fails support routine immunisation campaigns in the area.
Candido issued the threat at the flag-off of Sub-National Immunisation Plus Day at Jiwa in Abuja on Friday.
He also said any ward or village head who fails to monitor the January round immunisation against polio, which kicks off on Saturday, would incur the wrath of government.
He explained that any traditional ruler or title holder in the area council who fails to cooperate with the team of vaccinators in their respective domains would be punished accordingly.
According to him, every village or district head in the area council must monitor and supervise the process to ensure compliance by residents.
Candido urged residents especially those at the grass roots to imbibe culture of good personal hygiene to prevent diseases.
He also enjoined the people to desist from open defecation and indiscriminate waste disposal in their environment because these are likely to cause serious illnesses.
“As government, we shall continue to provide all the necessary support and partners with relevant agencies to ensure the success of this laudable programme.
“I wish to call on all parents and guardians to make their children and wards available for the vaccination.
“I will like all the traditional rulers, elected councillors, women, youth leaders and community leaders not to relent in their efforts in the fight against this communicable disease,” he said.
Dr Mathew Ashikeni , the Acting Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Health Care Development Board, also urged various stakeholders to mobilise parents to bring out their children for the success of the exercise.
Ashikeni said that Jan. 20 to 23 had been scheduled for first round vaccination against polio and 900,000 children are targeted to be immunised in the territory.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that development partners such as WHO, UNICEF and Rotary Club pledged their support in ensuring the success of the exercise. (NAN)
MS/BOLA/MST
Edited by Bola Akingbehin/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Meningitis claims 4 in Abuja, says AMAC

Meningitis claims 4 in Abuja, says AMAC
NAN-HG-1
CSM
By Bukola Adewumi
Abuja, March 29, 2017 (NAN) The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) on Wednesday confirmed that Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) has killed not less than four children in Durumi-Garki, a suburb of the FCT.

The Head of Health Department in the council, Mrs Modupe Adeyinka, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Adeyinka advised residents to take precautions against the outbreak of the disease and make sure that they do not sleep in a crowded room.

However, the official said that the case at Durumi was a suspected development which was yet to be confirmed clinically or scientifically.

According to her, four children were reported dead, three of which resulted from the symptoms and the other one not yet confirmed.

“Immediately this report came to us in AMAC, we informed our partners; FCT PHCDB, FCT Public Health Department and WHO, and immediately swung into action.

“The AMAC Disease Control Coordinator and Disease Surveillance Officers went to verify the incidents and do a thorough surveillance,’’ Adeyinka said.

According to her, the public health educators, social mobilisers and health personnel have embarked on community based education campaign on meningitis.

She said that they were also enlightened about the prevention and management as well as positive behavioural change to prevent spread of infection.

“We actually started this proactively last week in all our wards especially at the IDP camps and slums as soon as we got the news of an outbreak in Niger state.

“We also immediately created vaccination post at the Chief’s Palace to vaccinate the populace with CSM Vaccine manned by trained health personnel,’’ said the official.

Adeyinka noted that the vaccination is still on in Durumi 1, 2 and 3 areas, adding that it will be extended to all health camps and in government facilities from March 29.

She commended the Chairman of AMAC, Mr Abdullahi Candido, for supporting the campaign.

The official also said that the chairman had paid a condolence visit to the Durumi community where he ensured that healthcare workers were on ground.

According to her, meningitis is an inflammation that occurs when fluid surrounding the meninges becomes infected.

She however noted that bacterial meningitis was one of the most feared infectious diseases of children and epidemic meningitis could have a devastating impact on the entire populace.

“They can be transmitted by coughing, sneezing or close contact. It easily spread when people live in close quarters; being in small spaces increase the chance of exposure.’’

Adeyinka said certain age groups of children under the age of five are at increased risk of viral meningitis.

She further urged residents to embrace the vaccination which are available at health camps alongside poliomyelitis immunisation campaign.

Besides, she urged residents to avoid overcrowding places, and ensure personal and communal hygiene.

Adeyinka urged those experiencing the symptom to seek immediate medical attention, saying bacterial meningitis can be deadly.

“There is no way to know if you have bacterial or viral meningitis just by judging how you feel. Your doctor will need to perform tests to determine which type you have,” she said.

She also called on residents to report any suspected case to relevant authorities. (NAN)
BOL/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

AMAC begins supplementary polio immunisation March 25

AMAC begins supplementary polio immunisation March 25

NAN-HG-1

Immunisation

By Bukola Olaifa

Abuja, March 24, 2017 (NAN) The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) says it will begin another round of supplementary polio immunisation campaign from March 25.

Mrs Modupe Adeyinka, Director of Health, AMAC, said in a statement in Abuja on Friday that the exercise would end on March 28.

She said that trained vaccinators would move from house to house, churches, mosques, schools, markets and other places where children below five years or 0-59 months could be found.

Adeyinka said that more doses of the vaccine would improve the immunisation status of children against poliomyelitis.

“Frequent campaign at this period was necessitated by the discovery of the virus in two local government areas in Borno in 2016.’’

She said that the large influx of people especially the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) into FCT classified FCT as one of the high risk states.

The director added that there was need to boost the immunity of susceptible children against the virus.

“I hereby appeal for support in educating parents and caregivers to please cooperate with our vaccinators when they come,’’ she said.

She said that the vaccinators would be going around with their identity cards as vaccination team members, team supervisors, and ward focal persons, among others.

“We will also appreciate if you can inform us of any child around your neighbourhood with weakness in any of the limbs and also notify us if our team missed your house, church, schools,’’ she said.

She said that other antigens to vaccinate children against other vaccine preventable childhood diseases, would also be given free by trained health personnel at all the government hospitals during this period. (NAN)

BOL/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola