CORPS MEMBER SENSITIZES CHUKUKU COMMUNITY ON ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE AND DIARRHOEAL SYMPTOMS

Diarrhoeal being a major public health issue suffered by their children in rural communities, Corps Pharmacist Ugochi Agbara Faith of 2013 Batch C in partnership with an NGO, Credible Health Aid and Human Development Initiative (CHADEL INITIATIVE), in which she is a director, embarked on a project to sensitize and issue probiotics to residents in Chukuku Community, a traditional Gbagyi settlement, located between Gwagwalada and Kiyi villages, with about 220,000 inhabitants (according to 2006 census).

A total of 338 women assembled at the Primary Health Care Centre, Chukuku Community, Kuje Area Council, Abuja. The sensitization started at about 10a.m with a lecture on Environmental Hygiene and Diarrhoeal Symptoms by a guest speaker. There was an interactive session between the women and the speaker to ascertain the level of understanding. The women highlighted some community based problems which included access to portable water.

Prior to commencement of the sensitization, community based facilitators were trained on the administration of probiotics, which boost immune system and produce substances that prevent infection. The probiotics were then distributed amongst women, who were also counselled on the usage and its administration in different age groups. A total of 825 packs of probiotics were given out. The remaining probiotics was kept in the care of the Youth and Women Leader of Chukuku, Mr Usman Biko, for effective monitoring and follow up.

A follow up visit was made to Chukuku a week later, a total of 1,082 packs of probiotics have been distributed and there was an overwhelming positive feedback from the beneficiaries on the rapid relief from diarrhoeal symptoms and efficacy of the choice product. An appeal for more probiotics was requested by the chief of the community due to the increased awareness of the probiotics in the community.

In preparation for the next phase of the project, a brief visit was made to the Chief of Kiyi village and an endorsement was given to carry out a similar project, which gobbled a total of N1.25 million, in Chukuku community.