PHOTO: Participants pose for picture
By Tokpa Tarnue, tarnue82@gmail.com
VOINJAMA, Liberia- A resolution intended to reduce maternal, new bone health and child nutrition has been signed and adopted in the northwestern Lofa County.
The resolution was adopted recently and it followed a two day maternal, new bone health and child nutrition conference organized by the ministry of health in collaboration with partners on Monday July 4th 2022 at the William VS Tubman County Hall in Voinjama City, Lofa County.
The conference took place at the William VS Tubman County Hall in Voinjama is held under the theme “Invest in Maternal, Newborn Health and Nutrition to reduce Maternal and Newborn Death in Liberia” with over one hundred participants from across the County.
Giving the objective and overview the two-days conference, the community health department director for the Lofa County Health Team Edmond Essah, the exercise seeks to create massive awareness for stakeholders, advocate for increased budgetary allotment to health sector to help in reducing maternal, new bone health and child nutrition, review progress and best practices, formulate action plans/resolutions to deal with the challenges and to also strengthen stakeholders’ participation.
FULL TEXT OF THE RESOLUTION
Government’s Responsibilities
- Strengthen referral pathway (-Recruit and train at least eight ambulance nurses two per hospital)
- Prompt referral of pregnant women for ANC and delivery at health facility
- Improve roads leading to health facilities
- Improve communication network (Base radios for facilities)
- Regular support for fuel and repairs
- Provide essential medical supplies, drugs, commodities and equipment
- Increase budgetary allotment for health facilities and political will
- Expansion of tasks shifting program (OB, neonatal, pediatric and Nurse anesthetic) at the county hospitals and health canters
- Conduct regular OB outreach to PHF and rural communities
- Expand NICU to additional three hospitals and two health centers and equip with staff and equipment
- Upgrade and equip health facilities and maternal waiting homes
- Provide electricity and water to all health facilities
- Advocate for funding support from Donors & Partners
- Support the construction of staff quarter
- Establish and maintain blood bank at all hospitals
- Upgrade health workers salaries per qualification, skills and assign areas
- Strengthen triage and IPC at all health facility
Local leaders and citizens Responsibilities
- Ensure continuous support for feeding for maternal waiting homes users
- Provide local resources (Sand, Wood, etc.) for the construction or minor repair of health facilities
- Support cash box system
- Ensure TTMs receive their full motivational package ($3000LD) per delivery
- Establish drugs revolving fund system and maintain
- Discourage community delivery (Impose a fine of $5000LD for each community delivery)
Community
- Community initiative program provision of charcoal/ wood for autoclaving sterilization
- Active referral system (community cash box system)
- Husbands to accompany their wives to health facility for ANC visit and delivery
- Increase awareness on family planning, ANC, Facility delivery, prompt referral, exclusive breastfeeding, mental health
- Support HFDC to attend monthly meeting at the health facilities (Feeding and transportation)
- Support the drug revolving funds
- Support community development projects at health facilities