By: Vitalis Ugoh, Calabar
The Church and other community based social organisations have been advised to mobilize and actively be in the forefront of community based prevention of diseases in Cross River state.
Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk, Cross River State Health Commissioner gave the advise when he took his health advocacy to the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Ikot Nkebre – Calabar.
He told the church to actively align with government agencies conducting mobile outreaches in communities to provide prevention against prevailing diseases.
Ayuk said his admonition was necessitated by the presence of a mobile team from State Primary Healthcare Development Agency who visited the church to provide polio immunisation and mectizan treatment for onchocerciasis respectively.
He had earlier received Mectizan treatment from the visiting mobile team, admonished the church to make use of the opportunity to immunise their children and mass treat with mectizan, as well as support and encourage the mobile teams to sustain regular visitations.
The visiting mobile team thanked the Commissioner for the support given them during the trip and promised to convey his gesture to the State Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The advocacy received wide acceptance by church members who trooped out for doses of mectizan as well as bringing their children for vaccination.
