The Regional Director for West and Central Africa of the United Nations ’International Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), Dr Gianfranco Rotigliano has paid a working visit to some of the UNICEF intervention communities in the Savelugu/Nanton District in the Northern Region.

His visit was to enable him to assess at first hand the efforts of UNICEF in uplifting communities from poverty through the provision of water and sanitation facilities, educational materials and support for child and maternal health.

He was accompanied by the LMCEF Ghana Country representatives, Dr Yasmin Ali Haque, the Deputy Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Mabingban and some officers of the UNICEF and the district assembly.

The team visited the Nanton Health Centre, Nanton Local Authority Primary School, Tampion mechanised water supply system and Tinkurugu and Yizegu communities.

At the Nanton Health Centre, Dr Rotigliano interacted with lactating mothers who had attended the facility as part of their periodic facility visits.

The centre caters for 35 per cent of tile entire district population. It was disclosed by officials at the centre that, between January and October this year, the facility recorded 141 births.

Fortunately, there were neither maternal nor child deaths. More women were delivered by traditional birth assistants than those at the facility.

In Tinkurugu, Dr Rotigliano interacted with community volunteers who were implementing the Community-Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (C-IMCI) in the district.

The C-IMCI is a healthcare package developed by UNICEF to encourage and empower people in the community to improve child survival through nutrition and management of diseases at the community level.

It also promotes the use of Insecticide Treated-Mosquito Nets (ITNs) for the prevention of’ malaria infection, especially for women and children.

The acting District Director of Health Services for Savelugu/Nanton, Ms. Margaret Mwini stated that even though- the implementation of the C-SMC1 had increased the practice of exclusive breastfeeding and use of ITNs, it was not without challenges.

"Not many people have subscribed to the usage of iodated salt and also it is difficult to restock the healthcare packages when the logistics are used up," she said.

She also stated that the community volunteers, most of who were women, found it difficult to combine house chores with their voluntary work in addition to farm work.

At Yizegu, the director and mem¬bers of the team inspected household latrines, which had been constructed by the community with support from UNICEF.

Dr Rotigliano expressed satisfaction about the various UNICEF interventions and entreated the district assembly to closely monitor the projects to ensure their sustainability.

Mr Mabingban commended UNICEF for its support to the communities and expressed the ministry’s readiness to pay special attention to the various projects.

Daily Graphic

DS