THE Maternal Child Health and Nutrition Project funded by Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which had encountered resistance by communities at the first place, is now generally accepted by communities.
This was revealed by Solomon Islands World Vision rep in an interview during the recent Pacific Timor Leste Health Workshop in Honiara.
The project, which aims to improve the health and nutrition of 4,021 people in 46 targetted communities by 2017, with a particular focus on children under-five and pregnant and lactating women, is currently working in Malaita, Makira, Temotu Province and Central Islands Provinces.
The spokesman said lack of participation by communities is the main barrier to the programme implementation at the first place.
“The main reason behind the lack of participation was because some communities thought they already knew about what the programme is trying to teach,” he said.
“However, the communities that the programme is currently taking place are now fully aware of the importance of the programme, which then leads to the wider acceptance of the programme for full implementation in the host communities,” the spokesman added
He said the project, which started in 2014 and has two more years to go, has already achieved 60-70 percent success and one main area of improvement under the programme is the changing in behaviour of the locals where they now come to realise the importance of mother and child health.
“The project is an eye opener to parents because it encourages more rural mothers to attend medical treatment, while at the same time educates rural fathers to allow their wives to seek medical attention for the good health of the mother and child unlike before.”
Asked why they only chose certain communities to operate in, the spokesman said they chose communities that have weak health services for mothers and children.
By BIRIAU WILSON SAENI
