#National News

Njaboute Foundation sensitises Mamuda community on maternal nutrition

Jan 12, 2024, 11:48 AM | Article By: Fatou Sanyang

Njaboute Foundation, a non-profit foundation which focuses on health education and promotion as well as Social Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC) in collaboration with Future In Our Hands (FIOH) last Sunday sensitised Mamuda community on maternal nutrition. The sensitisation was held at the community health post in West Coast Region.

Njaboute with partners also engaged the community in a cleansing exercise at the health post.

The community engagement was attended by both men and women considering the significant role men can play in their wives’ pregnancy journey and during delivery.

Research has shown that women have distinct nutritional requirements throughout their life especially before and during pregnancy.

The synergy was also to ensure that women have nutritious diets and adequate services and care is fundamental for the survival and well-being of mothers and their children.

Speaking at the event, Peter Lundqvizr, a health worker from Sweden said about half of the fertile women in The Gambia are anaemic and lack of blood cells. However, he said over the years, it has gradually gone done.

He added that for a woman to conceive, the body needs a proper diet and micro nutrients.

Johan Insolan, a medical practitioner from Sweden buttressed the importance of a healthy diet for children after delivery.

“Women should eat healthy before, during and after pregnancy. It is sometimes difficult to buy baby foods but research has shown that moringa leaves are very nutritional. Mothers can dry and pound it then add to their babies food or boil it and make it soup with fish and give it to their children to eat,” he said.

Foday Bojang, a volunteer with Njaboute who doubles as a nurse said pregnant women should try and eat all the classes of foods.

“Meat may be expensive but a pregnant woman can eat eggs at least 3 times a week as a substitute,” he added.