The Lagos state government through the Office of Civic Engagement, headed by Special Adviser, Office of Civic Engagement, Princess Aderemi Adebowale has commenced the distribution of support packs to 57o select pregnant women under the Mother Infant and Child (MICHD) Development Programme, launched by Mr. Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu on the 22nd of September, 2021.
MICHD is a component of our WOMB TO SCHOOL INITIATIVE, a preparedness preventive rather than curative security measure geared towards making Lagos safer by projected year 2050.
According to princess Adebowale , MICHD is a nutritional support program, aimed at providing a weekly nutritional food packs and supplements to indigent pregnant women across the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas of the state. This is intended to aid proper brain development of the fetus whilst serving as a preventative security tool to raising civically responsible citizens.
“The Office of Civic Engagement, under my privileged leadership, understands that to create a peaceful and save environment where government can function optimally, citizens right from conception to birth and through adolescent to adulthood must be giving a fair chance to live, grow and become civically responsible individuals who are less likely to exert social pressure on the system.
Research points to the fact that there is a relationship between maternal malnutrition and disposition to violence in adolescence hence vindicating the position of the MICHD program which as much as nutrition addresses health, poverty and human capital development concerns, it is also a vital factor in addressing security concerns. Nutrition especially while invitro is a critical factor in addressing predisposition to violence.
In her speech, Mrs. Adebowale explained that this engagement forum is coming on the heels of the conclusion of the Preliminary and Research Phases of MICHD and the commencement of the Launch Phase, where another 570 indigent pregnant women has been carefully selected from 20 LGAs and 37LCDAs to be given food packs and other necessary support throughout the pregnancy.
Today’s engagement forum avails us the opportunity to meet with the 570 beneficiaries and their babies delivered during the research phase as they would be enrolled into the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme “ ILERA EKO”, the enrollment of these babies on the insurance scheme is to ensure the mothers and their babies remains healthy.
I want to appreciate the efforts of all stakeholders and our partners both from the public and private sector, The Special Adviser Office of Sustainable Development Goal and Investment, Ministry Health, Ministry Agriculture, LASHMA, LASRRA, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Alaro City, Birthright, Kimberly Clark, Lasena Water, JAWA Pharmaceutical Company and Rite Foods for their belief and contributions to the MICHD Programme. The list cannot be exhaustive this why we are still calling on more partners to support the Lagos State Government on this giant stride.
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