AlManar Women Association (AMWA) has intensified community advocacy for antenatal care and safe facility-based delivery by eng...
The engagement, organised under the Faith and Cultural Champions Project, was held at Ummutul Tarbiyatul Islamiyya, Anguwan Karfe, Limancin Kona Ward, Zaria.
It brought together married adolescent girls and young women, their husbands and mothers-in-law to discuss ways of improving maternal and newborn health outcomes within families and communities.
The sensitisation focused on the importance of regular antenatal care, skilled attendance at childbirth and postnatal services, while encouraging families to support women in making timely and informed healthcare decisions.
Speaking during the programme, the facilitator, Metron Aisha Ahmad, urged pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics regularly and deliver at health facilities where skilled healthcare personnel can provide appropriate care and respond promptly to complications.
She also called on husbands to provide emotional, practical and financial support to their wives throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.
According to her, facility-based delivery provides women with access to skilled health workers and timely medical intervention when complications arise, thereby reducing risks to both mothers and newborns.
Ahmad further stressed the importance of postnatal care, urging families to ensure that mothers and newborn babies receive appropriate healthcare after delivery.
She said mothers-in-law had a significant role to play in promoting safe motherhood, urging them to encourage pregnant women to seek timely and appropriate healthcare rather than relying solely on traditional practices.
The facilitator explained that the engagement was also aimed at promoting communication and shared decision-making among couples, while addressing social and cultural factors that could prevent women from accessing antenatal and delivery services.
She urged participants to put the knowledge gained into practice and share accurate maternal and newborn health information with other members of their families and communities.
The programme featured a sensitisation lecture on antenatal care and facility delivery, followed by an interactive question-and-answer session where participants sought clarification on issues relating to pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care.
The initiative forms part of AMWA and its partners’ efforts to strengthen community awareness and encourage positive health-seeking behaviour among women and girls.
Through the Faith and Cultural Champions Project, the initiative leverages the influence of faith leaders, traditional rulers, community gatekeepers, husbands, mothers-in-law and other key influencers to promote positive health practices and social change.
The IFCC expressed appreciation to the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) for its technical support and for bringing the Faith and Cultural Champions Project to Kaduna State.
The organisation said the initiative would continue to support communities with life-saving health information and promote healthier families through increased awareness and positive health-seeking behaviour.
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