FG committed to continuous training of personnel, says official

The Federal Government is committed to continuous training of personnel on issues that bothered on maternal health in the country, a government official, Mr Greg Izuwa, has said.

Izuwa, who is a family health expert in the Federal Ministry of Health, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He spoke on the sidelines of the unveiling of Nollywood actress, Stephanie Linus-Okereke, as the Regional Ambassador on Maternal Health in West and Central Africa Regions.

Izuwa, also the deputy director said that such training was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve maternal and child health.

Izuwa said, “The Federal Government is doing a lot to improve the lives of women and girls.

“There are trainings of all kinds across boards, whether you are from the Federal, State and Local Governments.

“There are policies like the task shifting where some responsibilities will be given to those who are not professionals in the field.

“So, in the North for instance, it is not in every facility you will find qualified midwives and nurses; these unskilled people have been trained to take care of their primary healthcare centres.

“There are Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives given to women who visit the clinic, and it is reversible and free; it is found in every family clinic and free of charge.

“Where you do not find it, it means there are no trained personnel in such facility," he said.

Izuwa said that low level of awareness was still a factor to the level of accessibility of family planning.

He said that many people still did not make use of the facility due to their cultural beliefs and attitude toward family planning.

“Sometimes, people have the access, knowledge and awareness about these facilities, but they prefer to visit their various religious leaders.

“The government trains people on monthly basis so as to meet the needs of Nigerians who desire to make use of the facilities.

“In term of awareness, there are enlightenment programmes to create more awareness among the populace,“ he said.