The Zamfara State Government in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and National Orientation Agency (NOA) organised two-day workshop for religious leaders in the state on children, mother’s health, nutrition, vaccination and general health protection of nursing mothers and babies.
The two-day workshop commenced in Gusau on Tuesday, brought together the participants including Imams, pastors, government officials and representatives of Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) and other stakeholders from the 14 LGAs of the state.
The workshop for orientation of religious leaders on Life For Faith was organised by the State Ministry of Information, and Culture, in collaboration with the Ministry for Religious Affairs, And National Orientation Agency (NOA) with support from UNICEF.
In a remarks, the state Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Sulaiman Adamu Gummi described religious leaders as major stakeholders in advocating the key messages of Faith For Life.
Gummi said that the orientation training is aimed at promoting positive behaviours to improve the children, mothers health, survival and development.
“We decided to invite you for this important training because of your relevance in the society, we believe as custodians of people you have greater role to play in extending all the messages of Faith for Life to your respective communities,” Commissioner said.
He appealed to religious leaders in the state to use their influence and platforms to promote child health, education, nutrition, vaccination, and protection.
Gummi called on the participants to use Friday prayers’s sessions and Churches services to sensitise their subjects on family welfare, child and mother’s protection.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Zamfara Council of Chiefs and Emir of Anka, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad described religious leaders as frontline stakeholders of extending the key messages of Faith for Life to the communities.
Ahmad urged the participants to encourage their followers to always vaccinate their children, attend antenatal care, immunisations and other challenges affecting mothers and children.
The monarch who welcomed the training assured maximum support from the traditional rulers in the state for the success of Faith For Life programmes in the state.
“Zamfara Council of Chiefs is ever ready to collaborate with you in promoting the healthcare of our people, especially women and children,” emir said.
At the training, various facilitators from Islam and Christianity presented papers on relevant scriptural messages on health, nutrition, child protection and survival.
The participants pledged to use their platforms to encourage people to adopt behaviours that promote child and mother’s survival and development.