Nkoranza (B/A) Nov. 24, GNA - Mr. Richard Kwasi Hinneh, Nkoranza District Director of Health Services, has advised pregnant women and nursing mothers to patronize this year's integrated maternal and child health programme to promote their well-being.

Mr. Hinneh was addressing about 50 nurses and community health volunteers at a day's workshop at Nkoranza aimed at sensitizing mothers for the exercise, scheduled for November 28 and 30 this year. The district director said the exercise would cover the provision of vitamin 'A' supplementation to children aged between six and 59 months as well as lactating women.

Children of zero to 59 months would also receive polio vaccination whilst babies of birth up to 11 months and pregnant women would be provided with treated bed nets free of charge.

Mr. Hinneh said children aged between two and five years would be de-wormed, adding that the volunteers would also register children of birth up to 11 months as most pregnant women refused to register their children at the births and deaths office.

Mr. Hinneh said the programme would be under the theme; "Healthier mothers and children in Ghana's Golden Jubilee year and beyond". He explained that the additional interventions to the usual annual polio campaign exercise were aimed at reducing maternal mortality as well as morbidity and mortality among children aged less than five years.

The district director urged the volunteers to intensify efforts to reach all mothers at their doorsteps as well as their babies under the exercise.

Stakeholders such as Assembly Members, Unit Committee members, traditional authorities, teachers and religious bodies should educate the people about the importance of the programme to promote its patronage, he added.

Mr. Hinneh commended Nkoranza District Assembly and other development partners, including decentralized departments for supporting such health programmes with means of transport. 24 Nov. 07