This year 2019, UNICEF mandates that over 32,999 women across Abia State should be adequately sensitised on the five (5) major Essential Family Practices (5-EFPs). Based on this, Lady Ngozi Okechukwu, the Abia State Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) summoned a meeting where Abia UNICEF SOMTEC proposed to deepen its quarterly meetings/outreach/advocacy by giving adequate publicity, advocacy and public enlightenment to the core UNICEF programmes and interventions across the three senatorial zones in the State (Abia Central, Abia North and Abia South) through engaging women of childbearing age, community gatekeepers and influencers, as well as other stakeholders.
According to Lady Ngozi Okechukwu, who also doubles as the State Coordinator of UNICEF partnership programmes, in her theory of change, opined that if women of childbearing age, community influencers and stakeholders are effectively engaged through SOMTEC quarterly meeting/outreach/advocacy, they will understand the five Essential Family Practices (5-EFPs). She emphasised that the adequate knowledge of the 5-EFPs will reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality by at least 50% in the State.
Members of the Committee welcomed Lady Ngozi Okechukwu as the new State Director and congratulated her on the well deserved appointment.
Lady Ngozi Okechukwu expressed her appreciation and gratitude for the support given to her predecessor by the Committee members. She concluded by saying that the overall aim of SOMTEC is to support and facilitate the achievement of sectoral programme objectives in the State Plan of Action by focusing on positive behaviour change at the community and household levels.
Abia SOMTEC programmes commence in the earnest from Wednesday, 17th July, 2019 in Ohafia; Thursday, 18th in Umunneochi and Friday, 19th in Aba North LGA Headquarters