By Ike Uchechukwu, CALABAR

The Cross River State Government has   flagged off the maternal newborn and child care week,  to immunize newborn against early death and infection of polio as well other diseases responsible for child mortality

Speaking during the flag off Thursday at  Primary Health Care centre, Diamond street Calabar, Director General DG, Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency CR-PHCDA Dr. Janet Ekpeyong, stated that abendezole (deworming drug) being  administered to children of zero to five years would help in boosting their  immunity and strengthen them for life.

Her words: “If you don’t deworm your child, no matter the quantity of food given to them, they won’t grow healthy.

“Despite deworming the kids if we don’t provide them with quality nutrition, they will still not grow well.

“Plant vegetables around your homes so that you can feed your children at very low cost,” stressing that the deworming exercise is not restricted to urban areas alone.

“This intervention is not restricted to urban areas alone but would be extended to even the hard to reach areas in the state,” she said.

The DG charged pregnant women to visit the primary health care centres to get folic acid and vitamin A drug in order to also boost their immunities and elongate their lives.

On the impact of immunization, the DG stated that it’s the reason why people no longer die premature these days

“They receive all the vitamins and supplementation, maternal and infant rate is drastically going down.

“You will agree with me that for years now we have not really heard stories of outbreak of death that is attributed to disease. All this is due to the impact of vaccination,” Ekpeyong said.