HEALTH TEACHERS URGED TO LEVERAGE ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR HEALTH EDUCATION/SENSITIZATION 

By Nnedinma Okeke  :

Teachers of Health Education in various schools across the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State, have been urged to leverage on available platforms and opportunities to educate people about their health and well-being.  

The Anambra State Health Educator, Mrs Uju Onwuegbuzina made the call during the Health Education Teachers engagement meeting on the forthcoming Intergrated Measles Campaign in the State. 

She urged Health Education Teachers to utilise opportunities available to them such as the Parents, Teachers Association (PTA) meeting to educate/sensitize parents on the advantages of accessing antenatal care and family planning services in health facilities.  

This she said would help women live more organised and healthy lives. 

The Assistant Family Planning Focal Person in the State Ministry of Health (SMOH), Mrs Stella Opia enumerated to the Teachers some advantages of accessing family planning services which helps in child spacing as pregnancy should be by choice not by chance. 

According to her, family planning helps to improve the physical and mental health of a woman and man as it would help them be better prepared and plan before welcoming another child. 

“This will help the woman rest physically from the nine months journey of carrying a baby before another pregnancy journey and it could also help in the career and productiveness of a woman both in her home and work front. 

“Importance of family planning in families and the society at large are numerous,” Mrs Opia reiterated. 

She, then, urged the Health Education Teachers to also leverage on the forthcoming Intergrated Measles vaccination campaign to sensitize mothers on the importance of accessing family planning services as it does not prevent one from having more children. 

*Nnedinma is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State