Garissa county government is renewing its strategies aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality rates.
According to Health CEC Ahmed Nadhir Omar, the new approach would prioritize child spacing to improve the immunity of the mother and the child thus reducing maternal and infant mortality.
In a speech read on his behalf by the County Director for Family Health Mohamed Haret to mark the World Contraception Day for child spacing held at Iftin sub-county hospital today, Omar said they were also involving the Muslim clerics on awareness creation in order to align the new strategy with the Islamic teachings.
Omar called for the natural child spacing methods that involved timing the fertile periods by counting of cycle beads and ensuring child breastfeeding for 2 years.
The CEC said the new strategies has started bearing fruit with increased skill delivery from 28 percent in 2013 to 55.6 percent in 2020.
“I want to lauded our health staff and partners for without their support, we could not be here celebrating these successes,” Omar said.
“Our antenatal attendance has risen from 75 per cent to 78 per cent. All this has been brought by teamwork and commitment to duty by our health workers,” he added.
In line with the day’s theme that seeks to improve awareness of child spacing method and enable couples to make informed choice in their sexual and reproductive health, Omar urged parents to seek the right information that would enable them make healthy and informed decision on their lives.
The World Contraception day for child spacing was organized by Garissa county department of Health in conjunction with Amref.
Amref technical officer Lilian Maroko stressed the need for lactating mothers to breastfeed their new born for 2 years in order to improve the health status of the mother and child.
“Although child spacing is important in order to improve the health of the mother and the child, its equally important to breastfeed your child for 2 years,” Maroko said.
“As Amref, we are proud to be associated with this important day and we pledge our support to the health sector,” she added.
The event was attended by the Garissa sub-county medical officer Dr. Mohamed Hassan, county director of nutrition Abdi Mohamed, sub-county public health nurse Aden Hussein, sub-county community health focal person Suleiman Mohamed and Amref community engagement officer Aisha Shale among others.
By Jacob Songok
