MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, April 08 (PIA) --- In an effort to reduce infant mortality, the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) is stepping-up a campaign aimed at vaccinating about 200,000 women in the province.
This is a massive campaign towards protecting the health of mothers and their newborn considering that maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) is a major health problem that contributes to infant mortality said IPHO Chief Dr. Alinader Minalang during the orientation on MNT Elimination campaign held here last April 5 and 6.
He said the primary objective of the campaign is to rapidly eliminate MNT by conducting three (3) rounds of door-to-door tetanus toxoid (TT) supplemental immunization activity (SIA) targeting all women 15-40 years old, regardless of their immunization status with at least 85% coverage, distributed to municipalities or barangays.
Minalang said elimination of MNT is defined as an incidence of less than one (1) case per 1,000 live births in every province and cities of every country.
“We should never be complacent because the Lanao del Sur is considered one of the nine (9) high-risk areas for MNT in the country,” he said.
The other areas are Basilan, Sulu, Lanao del Norte, Maguindanao, Cotabato City, Isabela City, Basilan, Abra and Benguet.
Minalang revealed that in Lanao del Sur about 40 percent of women give birth at home which raised the possibility of them and their newborn babies at risk of contracting tetanus.
The disease, he said, is often caused by unsanitary conditions in home deliveries leading to the contamination of the umbilical cord when it is being cut infecting both the mother and the baby.
He further said that the province posted high infant mortality rate since the year 2000 but slowly declining over the years, however, the rate is still high compared to the other areas in the country.
“This is because mothers are not yet aware on the importance of prenatal care and delivery in well-equipped facilities,” he added.
The IPHO chief has also encouraged mothers give birth in hospitals, health centers, birthing homes, clinics or other facility-based delivery.
In the meantime, Minalang reminds that the first round of the TT immunization will be conducted on June 1-30, while the second round is on July 1-30, 2011 and the third is January 1-31, 2012, exactly six (6) months after the second dose. (Apipa Bagumbaran/PIA-10)
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