ZHUL-QI’DA 17, 1429 A.H. THURSDAY  NOVEMBER 13 2008		Tell a friend about this page! Their Name: Their Email: Your Name: Your Email:
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Turai’s NGO moves to check maternal, infant mortality The National Co-ordinator of Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (WAYEF), Mr. Muttaka Rabe, said that the organisation would provide antenatal care to 5,000 pregnant women in rural areas, annually. WAYEF is a non-governmental organisation, established by First Lady Turai Yar’adua. Rabe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja that WAYEF also planned to ensure that five million rural women received neonatal care in the next three years. ``Our target is to provide neonatal care to 600,000 women annually, which will rise to five million children in the next three years,'' he said. Rabe said that WAYEF had acquired 100 ambulances for deployment to rural areas for the benefit of pregnant women. ``These 100 units will be put to use in December. Two ambulances will be provided to each local government council,'' he said, adding that more would be acquired to reach all areas. On breast and cervical cancer, which is also part of WAYEF's programme, the coordinator said the foundation would screen 600,000 women for breast cancer in the next three years. He also said that the foundation would treat 100,000 cancer patients over the period with the collaboration of some international cancer control organisations. Rabe said the foundation would mount sensitisation campaigns against cancer and facilitate the establishment of a national screening programme for breast and cervical cancers in the six geo-political zones. According to him, the NGO has already secured a piece of land in Zaria, Kaduna state, for the establishment of a ``waiting home'' for cancer patients for post surgical management. Rabe said that WAYEF would also help in reducing HIV and AIDS prevalence rate among women and other vulnerable groups. ``The HIV/AIDS programme has been incorporated as a key component of WAYEF programmes, in addition to other components, such as poverty alleviation, education, among others,'' the co-ordinator said.