Saturday, June 15, 2024 at 5:06 p.m.
El Marssa (Province of Laâyoune) – Some 622 people benefited from the services of a series of awareness campaigns focused on maternal and child health.
This action with strong social impact was initiated by the Provincial Human Development Committee (CPDH) of Laâyoune, in cooperation with the “Tika” association for the support of women and children in difficult situations and the Provincial Delegation of Ministry of Health and Social Protection, as part of the celebrations marking the 19th anniversary of the INDH, under the banner “The first thousand days, foundation of the future of our children”.
This initiative is also part of the implementation of the fourth program of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) relating to “The boost of human capital of rising generations”, in particular the axis relating to the maternal and child health.
This solidarity action, which benefited 383 women and 239 children, also aims to contribute to the promotion of access for mothers and children to the right to health and to allow this category to benefit from specialized medical examinations.
In addition, these awareness campaigns focused on the vaccination of children and the verification of the vaccination record, in addition to gynecological examinations for the benefit of 190 women and medical examinations for 62 children, as well as food supplements for the benefit of this category.
On this occasion, women were made aware of the importance of promoting a healthy and balanced diet culture particularly during the pregnancy period, the encouragement of exclusive breastfeeding particularly during the first six months, in addition to diversification of children’s diets and continued breastfeeding until the age of two.
In a statement to MAP, the head nurse at the second level “Alwifaq” health center in Laâyoune, Saida Anddam, noted that these awareness campaigns highlighted the importance of medical monitoring of women and the new -born after childbirth, especially since they have enabled women to promote best practices regarding infant nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding and improved complementary feeding practices.
In this vein, she underlined the importance of this initiative which represents an opportunity to improve knowledge and best practices concerning the behaviors to be recommended for the optimal development of the child during the first thousand days of his life.
For his part, Ali Itreb, executive at the Social Action Division of Laâyoune, in charge of the “Improvement of human capital of rising generations” program, indicated that seven awareness campaigns have been organized so far, having benefited more than 600 women and children.
These awareness campaigns, which took place in local health centers and social centers, focus in particular on family planning, reproductive health, post-natal medical follow-up and the importance of medical examinations for women during periods of pregnancy and after childbirth in a controlled medical setting, he said.
Note that the CPDH of Laâyoune mobilized a budget envelope estimated at more than 203,500 Dirhams, during the period from 2019 to 2023, having benefited approximately 1,566 women and 402 children.
It should be remembered that the INDH, as part of its innovative and pragmatic approach based on palpable results, is committed in an exemplary manner to be part of the multiple efforts made to improve the various indicators inherent to the health of mother and child.
