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By Akanji Alowoludo, Bauchi
In a determination to ensure that the First 1,000 days of life of a child was enhanced, journalists especially Health Reporters have made a pledge to engage in enhanced advocacy towards achieving the objectives of the process.
The commitment was made by journalists drawn from Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba states as well as Abuja at the end of a media dialogue on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life organized by UNICEF in its move to ensure children survived the most critical and challenging time of their lives.
The Media Dialogue was held in Gombe during which the Journalists also pledged to embark on massive advocacy towards enhancing the survival children during their first 1,000 days of life which is believed to be very crucial.
While leading the process to the commitment, the National Vice President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) , Alhassan Yahya noted that one of the critical roles of the media is agenda setting towards enhancing the lot of humanity through investigative journalism and human interest stories.
He assured that NUJ will continue to partner all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the contemporary challenges facing humanity are reduced and resolved to the barest minimum.
Alhassan Yahya also thanked UNICEF for organizing the media dialogue which he opined was a right step towards reducing child mortality in the first 1000 which is the most challenging period in the life circle of a mankind especially in developing countries like Nigeria.
Re-echoing the national vice president,
Also speaking, a former Chairman of Adamawa State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Umar Dankano thanked UNICEF for the timely intervention in the issue of women and children. ,
He said that, the dialogue has energized Journalists to partake in the advocacy and activities to ensure the preservation of lives at that critical period.
He further noted that such positive intervention by UNICEF could not have come at a better time considering the mortality rate of children within the age bracket of the first 1,000 days.
Umar Dankano also said that the high rate of mortality of children within that age limit is unacceptable as such, it has become pertinent for journalists to be part of the moving train to ensure the reversal of the ugly trend.
The former NUJ Council Chairman pledged to step down the knowledge to colleagues and other stakeholders in the health value chain for positive results.
He promised to ensure that challenges being encountered in the first 1000 days of life, from conception to the 2nd birthday such as low turnout of women to antenatal care, immunization, incidences of malnutrition et all are reduced to the barest minimum.
During their separate presentations, various resource persons drawn from the academia, UNICEF and Primary healthcare development agencies all noted that significant number of babies are lost in the first 1000 days due to various factors including low immunization, malnutrition, dearth of skilled health personnel amongst others.
The Journalists also embarked on field visits to various health facilities in Gombe State to have a firsthand information about the processes of healthcare delivery services in relation to pregnant women and children under 5 years.
