Daily Independent Online.
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Thursday, July 08, 2004.
Yaba council
celebrates child week
By Victor Ebimomi
reporter, Lagos
Yaba local government has begun a week long programme
aimed at creating health awareness among the residents particularly with emphasis
on the need to give adequate health care to the child.
Speaking on Monday when the programme kicked-off at
the local government secretariat, the Vice-Chairman of the council, Mr. Oluwole
Aladeteye said the theme Healthy
Child, the Future of our nation was specially chosen to show that children deserved the
best of medical attention in the society because the future and the greatness
of the country rested squarely on them.
“The theme for this year is appropriate. It is
high time we took the health of our children seriously because they are our
future leaders and as the saying goes, a healthy child is a healthy
nation”, he said.
He explained that the programme, pioneered by the
council would be a yearly event and that different and provoking themes that would
gear everybody towards realising the importance of the week as well as equip
participants with the necessary ideas on child caring would be selected.
According to him, the joy of every parent is to have
healthy, strong and happy children and as such he said the local government
council in collaboration with social partner was poised to always ensure that
the yearly programme achieved its purpose.
During the programme, he stated that drugs including
vitamins A capsules and all necessary immunisation, weight checks as well as
proper child feeding practice would be the major focus.
He enjoined parents, particularly the mothers, to
take advantage of the programme by taking their children who are below five
years of age to the health facilities nearest to their different places of
abode.
Other dignitaries who took turn to speak at the
occasion all harped on the need for parents to always show concern about the
sate of health of their children while a short play showcasing healthy child
was dramatised by a set of women all of who carried their babies.
Present at the opening ceremony were
representative of the State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Oshodi-Oginni;
Secretary to the local government, Mr. Abdul Rauf Ayodeji; Assistant Director
for Health, Dr. Mojisola Subair; Assistant Director of Nursing Services, Mrs.
Oluronke Oguntuga. Others are
Supervisor for Health, Honourable Bosun Agoro; Chief Pharmacist, Mrs
Omotomi Akinbote and Mrs Oladapo Okunbanjo, the Chief Nursing Officer.
