Maternal Newborn and Child Week (MNCHW) 2024
On June 10, 2024, FHI 360 participated in the flag-off of the 2024 MNCHW in Maiduguri, Borno State. The flag-off event was attended by representatives from the State government led by the Commissioner of Health, UN Agencies, INGOs, National NGOs, and community members.
The MNCHW is a week-long event organized by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), in collaboration with State Primary Health Care Development Agencies (SPHCDA) and State Ministries of Health. This initiative aims to provide an integrated package of highly cost-effective and curative services, such as antenatal care, to strengthen routine primary health care services. According to the NPHCDA, the week serves as a straightforward, one-time delivery mechanism that consolidates essential services. This approach is designed to significantly increase the coverage levels of key preventive and curative interventions, thereby improving the health of mothers and children.
This activity is critical in Borno State where the humanitarian crisis has limited access to nutritious, safe, and affordable food and clean water; disrupted essential health and nutrition services; and constrained access to optimal feeding, care, and hygiene practices for the conflict-affected populations. The greatest consequences are borne by children, adolescents, and women.
A series of events were rolled out to mark this year’s MNCH week targeted majorly towards educating the community on the responsibility of each person in MNCH matters. The services provided include Routine Immunization, Vitamin A Supplementation, Antenatal Care, Newborn Care, Nutrition Screening, Growth Monitoring, and Promotion, Hand washing Soap or Ashes, Exclusive Breastfeeding, Deworming, Postnatal Care, Birth registration, and Family Planning/Child Spacing. The activities will lead to improved knowledge of the healthy practices the community members can adopt to reduce child mortality and promote mother and child health.
In Bama, Mobbar, and Ngala LGAs of Borno State, FHI 360 is actively addressing the needs of the conflict-affected populations using an integrated multisectoral approach including health and nutrition across seven primary health care, eight health posts, and four stabilization centers.