From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse
A district head of Kiyawa in Jigawa state, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Kiyawa, the Dan Masannin Dutse has lambasted traditional health practitioners, saying they are the bane of increase in infant mortality across the state.
Aliyu Kiyawa spoke with select journalists to commemorate the world pneumonia day organised by Save the Children at the manpower development institute, in Dutse.
He described the attitude of embracing traditional medicine against the conventional medical treatmens as one factor that causes avoidable deaths amongst infants.
He said rural dwellers and some urban residents have the perception that traditional medicine is cheaper than orthodox medicine, adding that people are often lured by fake traditional healers with mouthwatering remedies against the conventional medicine.
He said until when the media embark on massive campaigns to educate the public on the basic symptoms of diseases and the appropriate places to seek for cure, they would not abandon the old ways.
Meanwhile, Jigawa communities have been urged to educate their compatriots against the pneumonia disease currently killing children across the country.
The PHC manager incharge of Kiyawa local government health care facilities, Mr Musa Nababa told our reporter on Friday during a visit to Katanga healthcare facility in commomoration of the world pnemonia day.
Nababa said the community members are gradually beginning to take charge in the fight against dieseas through routine immunizations and sensitisation of fellow women on the importance of child immunization.
He said the save the children massive campaigns in the rural communities have also supported them with the basic knowledge and steps to take when symptoms of the disease is being spoted.
He further advised parents especially mother’s to avoid exposing their children to practices that could hamper their health system such as smoke and other harsh weather conditions.
He explained that some women while cuddling their children either on their arms or backs unknowingly exposes them to smoke during cooking’s.
At the Katanga community one Malama Dije explained how she traveled for about two kilometres to follow-up on all the routine immunisations administered to her children in order to prevent them from any infections.
She said she had to also train other women within her household on the basic steps to take in addressing symptoms suspected to be pneumonia and other likely killer diseases.
