Princess Samiat Bada, the Executive Chairman, Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos State, has advised mothers to look after the health of their children.
Bada said, in a statement by Mr Rabiu Hassan, Head of Information Unit, on Tuesday that there was need for them to take good care of their children health.
According to her, children are the future leaders of this country, and their parents will rely on them in the future.
“For this reason, government and parents alike, particularly, mothers must pay adequate attention to their health condition,’’ she said.
The council chief said that introduction of annual Maternal and Child Health Week Programme by the Lagos State Government was a commendable effort that must be totally embraced by mothers.
She said that mothers must embrace it for their benefit and that of their children.
Bada also appealed to mothers to take their children from age 0 to 59 months to the government established primary healthcare centres, and desist from patronising quacks for medical care.
She said that healthy children would give them joy and happiness.
According to her, mothers should use the opportunity provided by the government, through the week long programme, to get free good medical services for themselves and their children.
“We want to use this time, particularly during this COVID-19 pandemic period, to ward off ailments that can deter their healthy growth,’’ she said.
Bada said that the primary healthcare centre at the council secretariat runs 24 hours services, seven days of the week, including public holidays, where mothers and children were being attended to professionally.
She advised the nursing mothers to breast feed their children exclusively for at least first six months and maximum of 12 months.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the council had on Monday flagged off the Maternal, Neo-Natal, Child and Adolescent Health Week.
The one week health programmes meant for children, mothers, pregnant women and adolescents include: immunisations, Vitamin A supplement, malnutrition screening, deworming and growth monitoring.
Others are: ante-natal and post-natal clinic, family planning, HIV testing and counselling, adolescent counselling and malaria prevention. (NAN)
