By Sanusi Muhammad
GusauNo fewer than 2,208 workers have been recruited under a programme funded by USAID’s expanded social marketing project in Nigeria (ESMPIN) across the four focal states of Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa and Katsina to sensitise husbands and mothers on the benefits of child spacing.
ESMPIN’s Project Mana ger, Aliyu Guraguri, who disclosed this at Regional Workshop on Child Spacing and Survival organised for Traditional and Religious Leaders in Sokoto, said in addition 640 Ward Distribution Committee representatives in each of the 64 LGs across the four states.
According to him, the ward committees have established networks to expand access to community service.
Guraguri, therefore, stressed the need for support of government at all
levels to promote sustainability through capacity building and financial assistance to Community Based Organisations and Community Based Distribution Agents Networks.
The Project Manager also appealed to the traditional and religious leaders to continue educating their subjects on the need for child spacing and survival.
He urged donor agencies local and foreign and other implementing partners to also provide more funding to strengthen the Community Based Development platform.
Also speaking, a traditional ruler, Sarkin Yakin Gagi, Alhaji Jabbi Umar, said time had come for traditional rulers and religious leaders to participate actively in sensitising their followers on the need for child-spacing in order to curb rampant cases of maternal mortality.
