The Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications has been described as a key Ministry in the effort to provide available, accessible and affordable health care delivery in the State.
Health Commissioner Dr. Tamunoiyoriari Parker gave this indication in a meeting he held with his Information and Communications counterpart Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, in Port Harcourt.
Dr Parker disclosed that the Ministry of Information and Communications is significant in the task of educating the public on the importance of preventive medicine.
Quoting from the Holy Bible in Hosea 4 verse 6 which says my people die for lack of knowledge, he noted that people do not die of HIV Aids, malaria or heart diseases but due to lack of knowledge.
According to him the health care delivery profile of the state is based on primary healthcare which is preventive care, stressing that preventive care is all about health education and health information.
The Commissioner said his Ministry has achieved 80 per cent coverage in the distribution of insecticide treated nets, but its usage is less than 40 per cent, stating that instead of using the insecticide treated bed nets to protect themselves from mosquitoes people use them to scare birds from their farms.
He solicited the support of the Ministry of Information and Communications in the dissemination of health information which according to him is the bedrock of effective healthcare delivery
Responding, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari expressed her Ministry’s willingness to support her counterpart in designing appropriate messages to persuade the public carry out informed decisions as it concerns their health.
She implored the Health Ministry to provide relevant data to facilitate the process, and directed the Directors of Planning, Research and Statistics of both Ministries to work as a team. ###
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