As part of activities to boost health care mechanism in Kebbi State, the First Lady of the state, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, has recently advocated for the inclusion of menstrual hygiene in health education curriculum across the state and the country as a whole.
She made the call on activities marking the year 2020 World Menstrual Hygiene Day, at an international Webinar on “Implementing Policies around Menstrual Health Education in Nigeria”.
As a champion and an advocate of the girl child, Dr. Bagudu shared some effective approaches used to reach girls in Kebbi state, and experiences on advocacies made in her capacity to break the stigma and demystify the culture of silence on that can benefit other women and girls in Nigeria.
These are part of initiatives not only in Kebbi State but the country at large.
Her expertise and competence in rendering support to the state government for improving primary healthcare development in the state, synergies with a partnership between Kebbi and Procter & Gamble.
P & G is one of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods companies, an eager beaver in touching lives of its end consumers.
One evidence of the partnership is the Always Keeping Girls in School program which was run across the state, targeting girl-child schools with personal hygiene classes and supply of sanitary towels.
In the wake of the COVID19 pandemic, a supplementary program is set to begin targeting girls in various communities.
The partnership with P&G also dives into the long term commitments of Kebbi State in improving child health care system by providing all essential resources for the sector in the state.
Thus, the supply of over a million Pampers units to Kebbi under a program coined “Rigakafi” can go a long way to boost health indices, reduce infant mortality and increase antenatal attendance and immunization rates in the state.
Speaking about the affiliation, the company’s Director, Temitope Iluyemi, said that her company was committed to deliver its promise in making everyday life a little bit better for their prospective consumers.
“It is also a great opportunity to lend support to the promotion of maternal and child health through increased immunisation and antenatal care programmes in Kebbi State, informing that the P&G brands improve the lives of people in the communities where we live and work, according to her,” she said.
Remarking at the flag-off, Governor Atiku Bagudu said Project Rigakafi would complement the state’s intervention efforts in reducing maternal and child mortality through the Kebbi State Emergency Maternal and Child Health Intervention Center, SEMCHIC.
Similarly, whilst commenting on Kebbi State partnership with P&G at the flag-off of Rigakafi earlier this year, Dr. Bagudu noted that every child has a right to life and to quality health, which is why she is grateful to P&G, for supporting their drive to promoting maternal and child health in the state.
With their support, she added, nursing mothers who visit the Primary Health Centers, PHCs, across the state to attend antenatal care, deliver or vaccinate their wards will receive free pampers and other incentives.
As a role model to many, Dr. Bagudu represents women, youths and children of Kebbi State mainly in health and education matters.
She is the state champion for Breakthrough Action, a project of the United States Agency for International Development, which tries to change health-seeking behaviors of women and husbands with the aim of reducing maternal and infant deaths.
Such gestures prove that the Abubakar Atiku Bagudu led-government is totally committed and has the power to make primary healthcare functional, more effective and efficient.
The state government has provided infrastructural upgrade and rehabilitation, as well as advancement to college status of health institutions achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by implementing the strategic health policies of the Federal Government in the state.
Indeed, the state’s First Lady Dr. Bagudu, constantly displays her keen interest in women’s developmental issues, child health systems and general health infrastructure. Her advocacy on cancer, menstrual health, gender-based violence, and drug abuse and others are evidence of this.
In addition to these, a women empowerment unit under the office of the First Lady engaged over 1000 petty traders with household products produced by the P and G to boost their business.
No doubt, with a strong portfolio of six leading brands, the international conglomerate P&G’s Pampers, Ariel, Always, Oral B, Gillette and Safeguard, brought world-class standards to Nigeria by raising consumer satisfaction and market standards, which offers the latest product technology to meet the needs and budgets of our wide range of consumers.
The company has a long history of touching lives through programs that help to make everyday life better for people, focusing on three key pillars: Citizenship, Leadership and Innovation.
The commitment of the state government on improved health care system is stable and unwavering compared to history of infant mortality before the coming of the present administration.
At least, the multi faced partnership in terms of boosting primary health care development, menstrual hygiene, girl child education and women’s economic entrepreneurship has laid the foundation upon which further growth can be achieved in Kebbi state.
Mr Ciroma is SSA to Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu.
