Programs of Scale for the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health (RMCH) Journalists Training/Workshop 2024
Rotary International is a Non-Governmental foremost Humanitarian Organisation with over 1.5m members worldwide. It enjoys diplomatic status and has sat at the United Nations as an observer since 1948. The organisation has been instrumental to the eradication of Polio in Nigeria.
Nigeria is a priority country in Africa and indeed in the world for Rotary International. The country has 4 Districts and because of the phenomenal growth of membership, the Rotary Districts in Nigeria will increase to six by July 1, 2024, making it the country with the highest number of Districts in Africa as well as the highest contribution in Humanitarian Giving in the Africa Zone.
Nigeria is the Awardee of the 2nd ‘’Program of Scale (PoS), a 2 million US dollar grant, for improvement of Maternity and Child Health code named “Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria”.
The Rotary Foundation created Programs of Scale to support Rotary member-led, evidence- based programmes that have already demonstrated success. Scaling proven programs will benefit more people and foster policy development and sustainable programs. In addition to find new ways to accomplish our mission, learn together, and demonstrate Rotary’s power to create positive change.
The rate of under-five mortality is 132 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the infant mortality rate is 67 deaths per 1,000 live births. Maternal mortality ratio is 512 deaths per 100,000 live births. Working primarily in three States plus FCT (49 facilities in Seven Local Governments), implementation focus is essentially in Primary Health Care Centres (42), and Secondary Facilities (7).
Rotary’s intervention in maternal and child health projects in Nigeria, has shown that improving the accessibility, availability, affordability and quality of care in Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs) will most likely reduce the high rate of neonatal and maternal mortality in Nigeria; therefore we solicit your unrelenting support in this respect.
The program of Scale “’Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria” involves series of initiatives, practices, protocols and service delivery; structured to give mothers high-quality gynaecological examinations, family planning, prenatal, delivery and postpartum care, in order to achieve optimal health for the mother, foetus and infant during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum as well as community dialogues to create awareness on reproductive health, outreaches/ home visits to get to more vulnerable beneficiaries.
The Rotary Action Group for Reproductive and Maternal Health (RMCH) in collaboration with FMOH, SMOH and with support from The Rotary Foundation is conducting a media training/workshop programme for career journalists and talk show hosts/presenters based in shopNigeria. TO CREATE ACCESS AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION FOR WOMEN, MEN & ADOLESCENTS IN NIGERIA.
The programme is designed for journalists with a demonstrated interest in health and population issues. Its purpose is to promote accurate, knowledgeable, enterprising and investigative reporting. By this training, these journalists through their country wide reports will contribute to the realisation of reduced maternal and infant deaths resulting from pregnancy and childbirth complications, as well as promote the use of web-based electronic data management in Nigeria.
Our target outcome is at least 180 family planning, maternal or reproductive health, advocacy and public awareness articles/stories published/broadcast by the trained journalist in the next 2 years.
Prof. Emmanuel Adedolapo Lufadeju,
National Coordinator/Country Director,
Chair FMOH Safe Motherhood Sub-Committee Technical Working Group (TWG)