D-8 Health and Social Protection Programme (D-8 HSP), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has flagged off a free medical outreach for 5,200 women and children in Niger State.
The Global Director of HSP, Dr. Ado Muhammad, stated this at the flag-off of the 2024 medical mission and outreach at the Neonatal wing of Minna General Hospital in the state capital of Niger State.
The theme of the 2024 medical outreach is: ‘Enhancing Community Health for Resilience in Niger, Kano, FCT, Enugu, Osun, and Bauchi states.’
Muhammad said, ‘Activities at the outreach include disease control, maternal health, providing nutritional needs for pregnant women, HIV/AIDS testing, and counselling.’
‘This medical outreach is to provide services to support Governor Mohammed HB Uma Bago-led administration in the area of reform targeted at addressing malnutrition and deepening of universal health coverage,’ he added.
He further detailed that services such as hypertension and blood sugar checks, HIV and malaria testing, family planning, and distribution of vitamin A supplements and deworming drugs would be provided.
Muhammad disclosed that the outreach targets ‘4,000 under-five children who will receive vitamin A, Zinc/ORS, micronutrient powder, and deworming drugs.’
Muhammad added that 1,200 pregnant women would be administered multi-micronutrient supplements in the state.
He mentioned that the organisation also donated 400 delivery kits and bedsheets to the Neonatal Hospital to support the state’s maternal child health programme under Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s administration.
Dr Aminu Magaji, Managing Director of the Neonatal Hospital in Minna, represented by Aliyu Chapa, described the outreach as timely and commended D-8 HSP for their intervention.
In his remarks, Dr. Ibrahim Dangana, Commissioner of the State Ministry of Primary Healthcare Development Agency, praised D-8 HSP for their medical intervention and donations to support women and children in the state.
Dr Dangana, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Abdullahi Imam, also applauded Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago for his efforts in addressing health sector challenges through health worker recruitment and facility upgrades across Niger State.
Established in 2018, D-8 HSP aims to improve health services and living standards across member states by combating hunger, poverty, and diseases in alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, and 3.
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