Lidgetton centre leads the way in child healthcare

Lidgetton’s Phila Mntwana centre should be used as a model that other such centres can learn from to fight malnutrition and protect children’s health in the district, uMgungundlovu District Municipality Mayor Mzi Zuma said on Tuesday.

Phila Mntwana centres are community-based child healthcare centres aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality from preventable conditions, including HIV, pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malnutrition.

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Zuma joined the Midlands institution in celebrating its receiving a certificate of excellence in Phila Mntwana community outreach activities, presented earlier this year.

While Phila Mntwana mainly deals with malnutrition, we also want it to look at everything that has to do with children’s health. It must ensure that children are up to date with their immunisation and other health issues.

“The Lidgetton Phila Mntwana centre has been doing just that and it’s a model of exactly what we want Phila Mntwana to be and want others to learn from it,” said Zuma.

He said the outreach programme started in 2013 after the Department of Health saw an increase in undernourishment and death among children less than a year old.

Zuma added that the government can only do so much for children’s health and rights, and that parents needed to play a role as well.

“The first 1 000 days in a child’s life are very critical and we call all government departments, NGOs and NPOs that can assist with that but parents need to also protect children. They shouldn’t be exposed to abuse because they grow up with the wrong mentality, which can do damage to the next generation,” said Zuma.

Ward councillor Sithembiso Nkuna said, “All this recognition motivates us to continue doing our best to service our community.”

Our healthcare workers are working even harder to deal with undernourished children, chronic medication defaulters, as well as teenage pregnancy. We are very encouraged to do our best to assist our community.

uMngeni Municipality Mayor Chris Pappas said building partnerships for progress was a core principle of the municipality.

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“We are a proud participant and contributor to initiatives aimed at social and economic change,” said Pappas.

“By working together, we can beat social ills, hunger, poverty, and inequity. By focusing on the most vulnerable in our society, especially children and mothers, we can make a real difference in the future of our province and nation,” he said.