Garantisadong Pambata program ushers 8 essential survival interventions

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
April 13, 2008

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  Garantisadong Pambata 2008 will usher eight essential survival interventions, this was the contention made clear by Ms. Felecita Borata, OIC Chief of the Samar Provincial Health Office Technical Services as she briefed health workers from Basey, Sta. Rita and Marabut.

Rural Health Unit (RHU) personnel from the three municipalities met at the Basey district hospital on April 11, 2008.

According to Borata, mothers should be encouraged to deliver with in a health facility and discouraged being attended to by hilots because a study conducted revealed that most maternal deaths took place with only hilots attending to births.

“Every pregnancy is a risk-pregnancy,” Borata explained.

Similarly, care of the newborn must be given utmost consideration, she added.

Other interventions include; breastfeeding and complementary feeding, micronutrient supplementation and deworming, Immunization of both child and mother, integrated management of the sick child, child injury and prevention and birth spacing.

Borata also stressed the need to deworm. She reported that Region 08 ranks three in the prevalence of parasitic infection. Deworming she emphasized, should be done twice a year, without fail. Infection may return if the second dose is neglected, the health worker added.

The group also recalled their accomplishment in the past year which revealed that most were unable to meet the target. This time, they vowed to hit it!

Garantisadong Pambata is a classic health project done twice a year, in April and in October where children 0-5 years old are treated to a wide array of health packages for free.

The Department of Health through the Local Government Units extends the health program implementation.