By Asmau Ahmad
The Nigeria’s Federal Government has stressed the need for continued adherence to behavioural change to sustain the successful containment of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Director of the Family Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Dr Boladale Alonge made the appeal on Monday in Abuja, during the close-out ceremony of the Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition (HBCC 2) programme.
Dr Alonge said that irrespective of the health status of the populace, health hygiene rules were always important.
She also said that it was very important to get people vaccinated and immunised.
“In many countries of the world, the third booster dose of COVID-19 is also on and being given to the populace so I want us as much as possible to sustain the behavioural changes and ethics of being in a large group.
“If you want to sneeze, you can still sustain the behavioural change pattern that you learnt throughout the COVID-19 period.
“In fact, in some countries of the world, they use face mask throughout the year but I wouldn’t say that we should, but if it is necessary, especially if someone has a cold, you can use your face mask to prevent other people from getting infected.
“So definitely we will continue to roll out other necessary health promotional posters and information that we need the public to adhere to because there are other infections that are ongoing throughout the year.”
While talking about the programme, the director said that it was done in collaboration with FMOH and Population Services International Nigeria (PSIN), and was majorly about health promotion activities and packages especially during the COVID-19 period.
According to her, it was a very impactful collaboration used in developing messages on the basic rules to prevent infection.
Director, Health Promotion Division, FMOH, Dr Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, said that from all indications, the nation was indeed winning the battle against COVID-19 pandemic.
This, she said, was because people are being encouraged to adhere to all the preventive measures and they are complying.
She, however, said that the HBCC 2 programme (The Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition) supported FMOH to disseminate preventive messages against COVID-19 to Oyo, Osun, Kano, Nasarawa, Lagos states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
