Akwa Ibom State First Lady Designate, Lady Helen Eno Obareki.
By Anietie Akpan
The Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Akwa Ibom State, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, has decried the low rate of registration of new born babies in the state.
Lady Obareki who was shocked with the low number of babies with birth certificates in the state, called for an urgent action by mothers and all stakeholders emphasising the significance of registering the birth of newborn babies.
A press release from the Media Unit, Office of the First Lady, said the First Lady Designate was speaking on Thursday, April 17, during the Empowerment Programme For Multiple Birth Families, a programme under the Maternal and Child Healthcare thematic area of the Golden Initiative For All (GIFA), held at Ibom Hall, Uyo.
Lady Obareki urged workers at Primary Healthcare Centres, Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and wives of Local Government Chairmen to sensitize mothers in their areas on the importance of registering their children’s births.
“It is important that the birth of babies are documented. My staff gave me a list of 330 babies but when I insisted that all of the babies should have their birth certificates, that number reduced drastically.
“Sensitise mothers on the need to register the birth of their children, irrespective of where the delivery takes place. Even when they give birth at home or at the Traditional Birth Attendant’s place, they should endeavour to get their children registered”, she said.
While thanking Governor Umo Eno for his constant support for GIFA, Lady Obareki who is the Chairman of the GIFA Board of Trustees, congratulated the families on the safe delivery of their twins, triplets and quadruplets.
Accompanied by female stakeholders in the state, Lady Obareki distributed care packages to families of multiple births children to help ameliorate the burden of raising the children.
Setting the tone for the event, the Special Assistant to the Governor on General Duties, Mrs. Anne Abraham, highlighted the empowerment programme for multiple birth families as a vital extension of the Maternal and Child Healthcare component of GIFA.
Abraham explained that the programme which specifically targets families with babies aged 0–3 months, was also designed to support fathers who lost their spouses during childbirth, commending stakeholders and Development partners for their commitment to the GIFA vision.
On her part, the Akwa Ibom State Nutrition Officer, Dr. Idongesit Umoh delivered a health talk emphasising the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, describing breast milk as “the perfect first food for infants, vital for brain development and offering natural family planning benefits”.
According to her, breast milk should be given exclusively for the first six months before introducing complementary foods while advocating for a six-month paid maternity leave policy to support nursing mothers.
She urged mothers “to consume a balanced diet and breastfeed their babies a minimum of eight times daily and on demand”.
Goodwill messages were received from the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare Mrs. Inibehe Silas, the Executive Secretary of the Akwa Ibom State Primary Healthcare Agency, Dr Eno Attah and the Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs/ Member representing Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo State Constituency in the State Assembly, Hon. Selina Ukpato, paying glowing tributes to the memory of Pastor Patience Umo Eno who laid the foundation for the GIFA multiple birth programme and Lady Obareki for sustaining the legacy of impact.
Highlight of the event was the presentation of packages for the care of multiple birth children by the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady, at the ceremony.
Responding, a mother of Quadruplets, Mrs Nseobobong Uloh, thanked Lady Obareki for the love and support extended to multiple birth families, which will significantly ease the challenges they face.