Rotary Club Sensitizes Pregnant Women on Safe Pregnancy Practices, Donates Birth Kits in Lafia

Pregnant women attending the Nasarawa State Primary Health Care Centre along Doma Road in Lafia have been urged to adopt healthy lifestyle practices and maintain proper hygiene to reduce the risk of infections during pregnancy.

The advice was given during a maternal health sensitization programme organized by the Rotary Club of Lafia Central, District 9127, as part of activities marking Maternal and Child Health Month.

Speaking at the event, the 11th President of the Rotary Club of Lafia Central, popularly known as the Impact President, Mr. Attah Emmanuel Jonathan, emphasized the importance of infection prevention in ensuring safe pregnancies and healthy childbirth. He encouraged expectant mothers to strictly follow medical advice and avoid unhealthy habits that could endanger both their lives and those of their unborn babies.

Mr. Attah explained that Rotary International remains committed to improving the health and well-being of vulnerable communities through sustainable humanitarian projects. According to him, the Rotary Club of Lafia Central has continued to make meaningful contributions to healthcare and education across Nasarawa State through the construction of boreholes and toilet facilities in schools, donation of delivery kits to pregnant women who cannot afford them, and the provision of phototherapy equipment for the treatment of newborns with jaundice at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia.

Delivering the keynote lecture, Public Health Nurse, Mrs. Onyawole Ogiri, educated the women on the theme, “Infection Prevention in Pregnancy.” She described infection prevention as one of the most effective ways of safeguarding the health of both mother and child throughout pregnancy.

Mrs. Ogiri noted that regular handwashing with soap and clean water remains one of the simplest but most effective preventive measures, explaining that proper hand hygiene alone can reduce the transmission of infectious diseases by as much as 80 percent.

She also encouraged the expectant mothers to maintain good personal hygiene by bathing at least twice daily, keeping their homes and surroundings clean, eating balanced and nutritious meals, engaging in moderate physical exercise where medically appropriate, attending antenatal clinic appointments regularly, and taking prescribed medications such as folic acid as directed by healthcare professionals.

The public health expert further reminded the women that early detection of health challenges through routine antenatal care significantly improves pregnancy outcomes and helps reduce maternal and infant mortality.

Among dignitaries present at the programme were the Chapter President and Learning Facilitator of the Rotary Club of Lafia Central, Professor Emmanuel Kwon-Ndung; the Executive Secretary, Dr. Mojisola Awoseni; the Club Treasurer, Mrs. Juliana, alongside other members of the Rotary Club. They commended the initiative, describing it as another demonstration of Rotary’s commitment to promoting maternal and child health in line with its humanitarian vision of ensuring that every mother has the opportunity to experience a safe pregnancy and healthy delivery.

The sensitization programme concluded with the distribution of free birth kits and bottled water to all participating pregnant women, while members of the Rotary Club and beneficiaries commemorated the event with group photographs.