Programmes in mother tongue would improve healthcare delivery, says UNICEF

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has said interpreting its intervention programmes in local languages would improve Nigerians’ healthcare, especially for mothers and children.

The Chief, UNICEF Field Office, Akure, Mr. Tejinder Sandhu, said this during a “Fact For Life” (FFL) meeting with commissioners and stakeholders in Ondo State.

Sandhu said the stakeholders’ meeting was to review the progress made on the resolutions to improve healthcare at its meeting held last year.

The meeting, organised by Ondo State Ministry of Information and Orientation in conjunction with UNICEF, had commissioners and representatives from Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun, Osun and Edo States.

At the last meeting, it was resolved that “FFL radio programmes should be reproduced in Yoruba to reach and empower segments of the population. Good voices on radio from concerned states should be used in the production for self-belonging.”

UNICEF Communication for Development Specialist, Mrs. Caroline Akosile, disclosed that FFL has been translated in 215 languages, and 200 countries have adopted it.

Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Yemi Olowolabi, said the partnership with UNICEF’s Communication for Development (C4D) unit has impacted positively on quality health delivery in the state.