UNICEF’s Fathers for Good Health Support initiative has yielded positive results – Bauchi community
By Samuel Luka,
Bauchi
Community members in Misau local government area of Bauchi state have observed that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) sponsored “Fathers for Good Health Support initiative has yielded positive impact in the lives of the children and mothers.
They praised the initiative, which is focused on engaging fathers in promoting positive health-seeking behaviors, particularly regarding childhood immunization exercise.
Our Correspondent gathered that the Fathers for Good Health Support initiative is aimed at leveraging fathers’ influence within their communities to encourage wider acceptance and uptake of vaccines and other essential healthcare services.
As part of activities to mark the commemoration of Fathers Day which was celebrated globally, a team of officials of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Bauchi state and newsmen Thursday, visited Kukadi/Gundari ward in Misau local government to assess the impact of the initiative in the area.
They observed that fathers have performed excellently well in promoting healthcare delivery system, particularly maternal and child health.
The team of journalists interacted with members of the fathers for good health group, including a female supporter of the group, members of the communities who have been impacted by their activities, Council Chairman of the local government and UNICEF Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Specialist in order to ascertain the impact of the activities of the initiative as well as the challenges.
A father of four and a member of the Fathers for Good Health Support Group in Misau, said before the initiative, there was a lot of resistance to polio immunization, low attendance of antenatal sessions by pregnant women and home deliveries which sometimes results to health complications.
He however, stressed that since the initiative began, people have recognize the importance of going to the hospital, particularly pregnant women.
“Even our malnourished children have recovered. Before now, there was a lot of resistance to immunization, most households were against immunizing their Newborns and many of the pregnant women were not educated on the importance of attending antenatal and giving birth in a health facility”, another resident of Misau, Salisu Hussaini said.
According to him, all the misconceptions and lack of awareness have changed and people are now exhibiting positive health attitudes.
For Hajiya Kadi Babangida and Mohammed Bala, supporters of the group said members of the group usually sensitize fathers in the communities on the importance of improving the health of their families by allowing their children to be immunized, ensuring that pregnant women attend antenatal and giving birth at the facilities.
A resident of Gundari, Tanimu Abubakar, and father of six children who had miscommunication about immunization and has never allowed his children get vaccinated, said the awareness creation by the Fathers for Good Health Support initiative has now changed his mindset for good.
“Before now, I used to resist immunization for my household and have time without number, frustrated any attempt by health workers to immunize my children. But now I have a different mindset with the coming of this Fathers for Good Health Support Group because I have seen the good work they are doing in improving the health of the communities” he said
According to an official of Misau local government, there are 10 members of Fathers for Good Health Support group in each of the 16 wards of the LGA, making a total of 160 members of the group.
The official added that the activities of the group has transformed the health of members of the communities in the LGA, leading to positive changes of people’s behaviour towards child immunization, antenatal care and other maternal services.