NGO helping mothers

By LULU MARK
ROUTINE immunisation for children is important to ensure that they are protected from diseases and have a healthy happier childhood.
The Waniati Development Association (WDA), a non-governmental organisation based in Eastern Highlands runs a maternal waiting hut at the Okiufa village in Goroka and assists the provincial health authority (PHA) in delivering the routine immunisation to the rural communities.
Director Victor Timothy said childhood immunisation was a routine programme that should not be disrupted.
“Therefore, during the election period our team at the Waniati Maternal Waiting Hut were out there carrying out immunisation,” he said.
“Our team of healthcare workers went to rural communities and immunised children under one year.
“We are tasked to look after the rural areas of Daulo, Goroka, Unggai-Bena and some parts of Lufa.
“We look forward to next month to carry out another mobile immunisation programme.”
Timothy said his organisation was working in partnership with the PHA, which funded the programme.
He said the organisation had also worked in partnership with the PHA in the routine immunisation integrated with Coronavirus (Covid-19) awareness around the province.
He said the immunisation of babies was one of the several programmes under the association.
He said the Waniati Maternal Waiting Hut was established to support pregnant women especially from rural and remote parts of Eastern Highlands and Chimbu that travel to Goroka for delivery.
Timothy said at the Waniati Maternal Waiting Hut, there was a humanitarian support programme which ensured food and accommodation was provided; labour ward items such as maternity pads, soap, toilet paper and transport from the hut to the hospital labour ward was provided.
Other programmes provided by the association included maternal and child healthcare treatment (postnatal or neonatal infections and treating other general illnesses); spiritual (weekly devotion); small-to-medium enterprise (SME) development to assist mothers who wanted to start or improve a business, financial literacy; and, a gender-based violence (GBV) programme with counselling.