The Lafiya Project, a UK-Nigeria Health Partnership, is assisting the Kaduna State Government in integrating Early Childhood Development (ECD) with Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH).
This was stated by Malam Kabir Lawal, the Desk Officer, School Health, Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board, on Wednesday during a two-day capacity building training in Zaria.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the training aimed to improve the competence of health managers, ECD Desk Officers, and Supervisors in the integration of ECD and ASRH.
Lawal explained that the training was made possible by Lafiya, a health project funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.
According to him, the purpose is to support the child’s overall well-being and to equip them to deal with the problems that teenagers face in order for them to mature into healthy adults.
Mr Abdulrahaman Miakail, one of the facilitators, stated that the goal of the workshop was to increase participants’ competence to provide successful ECD and ASRH programs.
Mikail went on to say that the training was also intended to promote children’s development from a young age and to integrate it with sexual and reproductive health as the children grew into adolescents.
He stated that the training would enable participants to identify barriers and opportunities for effective ECD and ASRH program implementation.
Hajiya Amina Ndatsu, the lead resource person, stated that ECD was concerned with all of the care, support, and interventions required for the child’s survival, growth, and development from conception to five years.
According to Ndatsu, the ECD requires a multi-sectoral strategy that includes, among other things, health, education, nutrition, and child safety.
She also stated that ASRH was concerned with, among other things, adolescent sexuality, pregnancy, childbirth, health, nutrition, family planning, antenatal and postnatal care, breastfeeding, and young child feeding.
Integrating ECD and ASRH services, she claims, will ensure adequate care for children and adequately prepare them to face the challenges of adolescence and adulthood.
“As a result, because they are intertwined, ECD cannot be separated from ASRH for effectiveness.”
“This is because young mothers cannot effectively raise their children unless they understand how to have safe pregnancies, deliveries, childcare, as well as their own and their babies’ nutritional needs.”
“Because of their constant contact with adolescents, ECD service providers must be aware of ASRH.”
According to NAN, Lafiya and the Kaduna state government educated religious and traditional leaders across the 23 local government areas on ECD and ASRH programs on Monday in order to gain their support for effective implementation.
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