Partnership for reviving routine immunization in
Northern Nigeria; how Agage community became a success story in community
health
By Kabir Isa Bala.
The Partnership for the Reviving Routine
Immunization in Northern Nigeria (PRRINN), was initiated as a child of necessity
when the clouds surrounding the National Programme on Immunization (NPI), became
thick in northern Nigeria. Acceptance of the programme was then a serious
challenge at both national and international level. Subsequently, the programme
was extended to the care and well being of the mother before, during and after
pregnancy as well building the capacity of related medical personnel and
providing the required modern equipment in the clinics.
Four States selected for the programme are
Katsina Jigawa, Yoba and Zamfara States.
In Katsina as in the other three States, PRRINN
works with the State, Local government and selected communities o achieve the
goals of the programme.
One of
those communities among many enlisted for the programme is the Agage Commnuity
in Danja Local Government Area. Research conducted prior to the involvement of
PRRINN in the area, indicated that the community lacks the common knowledge of
the importance of hospitals as it relates to healthy living.
Prior to their enlistment and due to their
illiteracy level, they hardly go to hospital or clinics. To them, tradition or
local herbs are enough to treat illnesses. The men among them practiced life
time farming while the women were without any sources of generating income.
Alh. Salihu Abdullahi, the village Head of Agage
described how the community was, before PRRINN. He said, “Opting for hospitals
or clinics is expensive and we are very poor. Sometimes, when tradition
medicine fails to treat an ailment, we can only resolve to prayer. In extreme
cases, one has to sell his belongings like portion of your farm; this is
unfortunate. If it is very consequential, others do sell the cows they use in
ploughing”; he lamented.
Of course, disposing such valuables is most
unfortunate. While some may have something to rely or fall back on, to others
such as Abdullahi Dayaro, a widower who does not own a farm or even any domestic
animal, he labours everyday to feed the three children left by his late wife.
He recalls how, due to poverty, his wife died after a prolonged labour: “My wife
labored for three days. I tried my best in giving her local herbs which I
believe help in quick delivery. We tried to borrow money in vain. My
neighbors advised that I should take her to hospital, but my humiliation was
lack of money. And it was in the middle of the night, and the clinic is not
near our village. You know I tried to raise money.
I looked for a menial job, but couldn’t get. I
was desperate and there was nothing I could do though. Eventually, she passed
away at about 4 a.m. on the third day. “He said, almost in tears, that two of
Danyaro’s daughters are of school age but neither school nor the money for books
and uniforms was available. Danyaro said, western education is for boys and
does not bother not having the means to educate is for girls. 
Access to healthcare is a major challenge to
Agage community. The people’s attitude to modern medicine is a contributing
factor. This has led to high maternal morbidity and child mortality; the
PRRINN initiative therefore, became imperative. The need arose to reverse the
prevalent trend.
The Agage Commnuity in Danjo Local Government
Area with a population of about three hundred households has immensely benefited
from the PRRINN initiative, at least in the last two years. Series of
activities were introduced towards achieving change as well establishing small
economic activities while also strengthening the health system. The community
has not had any maternal morbidity or child death. In fact, the community has
had no any case of childhood illnesses. Of course, these remarkable
achievements were all courtesy of the PRRINN initiative.
Women of all ages were encouraged to cooperate
among themselves through the formation of associations such as the young women
groups with each having a peculiarity of either being first times in pregnancy
or all timers in maternal stages. Even older ones among them that have daughter
in laws are now in groups. With the acquired skills in pomade making or Izal
antiseptic making or the skills in preparing juices and making of different
seasoning, the Young Women Association are now empowered to contribute to the
upkeep of the family. The Agage Community is currently planning to celebrate
these achievements of self advancement in health, businesses and cordiality
between spouses.
Indeed, it has been two years of peace and
happiness in the Agage Community. Magaji Tandamo, Alh. Ahamed Abubakar while
enumerating the activities of PRRINN in his domain said he is glad that the
Agage Community is now an ideal community. People now know that self help
spirit they learned from the initiative has brought a lot of blessings to
them. He said, “The Initiative has provided a well equipped maternity room for
safe delivery of babies and mother care. This is good since government cannot
now provide all the needs of its people. Similarly, there is now availability
of free drugs at least those that are urgently needed in deliveries and post
natal.
The husband does not have to go far or out of the
clinic to purchase necessary drugs. Again, there are quality drugs when you are
to purchase those that are not free. There are also nurses and matrons 24 hours
in our hospital; I understand too that PRRINN has been training and retraining
these personnel to improve their capacity. You should know that now, no one has
to go to either Katsina or Funtua to access qualified nurse but now they are
living with us. This is an achievement”; he concluded.
The
public relations officer of the management committee of the Tandama Maternal and
Child Hospital, Mal. Idris Dahiru who accompanied this writer to conduct
interviews, said that the community was able to overcome the challenges and
accept to work with PRRINN after series of enlightenment campaign and
sensitizations. Dahiru said that at a time, he was called names but he ignored
such. “When I first heard of PRRINN in Funtua training, one of the speakers, a
white lady we called Susan, was the one that told me that they were concerned
with Africa not for anything but for the fact that if they allow disease to
persist in Africa, their own continent may one day be infested. I reasoned with
her position and since then, have vowed to work towards the success of the
programme in my area.” The PRO said, since then, he has been educating people
at every social gathering or in market place or worship centers.
According to him, “See now those calling me names
are now sorry. Some were able to come up to me to apologize. And, some are now
among the most active members of our community”; he said.
Muntari Abba, 32, is the leader of the group that
donates blood on demand. He said, they decided with his peers to form the Blood
Donors Association after realizing that in most cases, pregnant women often
require blood. “Most times, we go to clinic with women who are in labor; the
hospital people would say she needs blood and the rigor of getting the right
blood group and the willingness of someone to give out is a harrowing experience
to me. You know my daughter almost died because at a time she was so ill and I
was away in Lagos then. The nurse said she needed blood and there was no one to
give the blood. When they telephoned me, I told them to dispose of up to two
bags of soya bean to buy blood for her. Thank God, they bought it in Funtua and
she was treated with it.”
Muntari further said a number of cases requiring
blood transfusion benefited from the Association. He said, from time to time, a
hospital staff would come and they would gather around him. “He advises us to
eat well. It is from him that I know what a balanced diet is and am always
happy to donate blood. I am lucky too that am in group O, a general
donor.”
The Agage Blood Donors Association has 16 members
who are able bodied men. They offer blood free of charge and are available
every time, day or night.
A visit to the Tandama Hospital paid up, as
pregnancy women were seen dancing to a song sang in unison with a facilitator.
As the facilitator sings and demonstrate, so do the women. My understating is
that the songs were on the danger signs of labour. The day was Wednesday and an
anti-natal visiting day. The women about 20 in number were between the ages of
18 and 25. Hauwa Ahmad is one of them and probably the youngest. She told me
that she regularly attends her ante-natal clinic because her husband has given
her a sort of blanket approval to attend. She said, he is equally interested in
what goes on after every visit. I discussed freely with him. He knows my daily
requirement very well and the need for me to remain healthy. In my first
pregnancy, it was difficult for me because his mother would not allow that. It
is always drink this or rub this on your tummy or feet. But, when the PRRINN
team visited from Danjanku, I was lucky to be attending ante-natal clinic. With
all the stories you here about disease after birth, one would feel lucky to
deliver in hospital, supervised by qualified personnel. Only Allah would reward
PRRINN officers”; she prayed.
Hauwa counted other benefits she derived from the
initiative: “I am now slightly engaged in preparing juice or “Kunun aya”. It is
easy to prepare; and sales are remarkable. In fact, sometimes I save enough
money to buy items for my baby. By the way, my pregnancy is 7 ½ months”;
(Laughter). Aunty Asma’u Lawal was the local facilitator and instructor at
the ante-natal clinic. I asked her how she feels counseling women older than
her, even though she is still unmarried. “I am conscious of the fact that I am
just about 22years old and some of these women are of my mother’s age. But, you
see, I find joy in making corrections and improving the wellness of people. I
also know that this is a golden opportunity for me in the sense that when
eventually I get married and become a mother too, my husband and children would
have the best wife and mother respectively”; she proudly said.
Asma’u confided, “How do you expect I should pay
back what PRRINN has done to me. I am engaged and working since 2007. I have
attended several capacity training and workshops uncountable times. My
qualification and most importantly my perception of people needing healthcare
services, make me feel complete and almost fulfilled as a person. I am indeed
grateful to PRRINN and I shall continue to advance humanity with the little
knowledge I have acquired”; Asma’u declared.
So as the Agage community prepares to celebrate
two years of total wellness, it is worth saying that the reality of the day is
that government alone cannot provide for all the needs of the people; herein
lies the need for the people, the community, the government, you and I to take
up the challenges in promoting healthy living through attitudinal change by
whatever means or calling we are engaged in. Cheers to Agage Community.
Kabir Isa Bala sent in this piece
from the Federal Information Centre, Katsina.
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