By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

The Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Board has extended its adolescent health sensitisation campaign to the Maraba Rido Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Chikun Local Government Area, providing food items, sanitary pads, educational materials and other support.

The outreach is part of a seven-day statewide programme marking International Adolescent Health Week, according to Bilikisu Zailani, Adolescent Health Desk Officer at the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Board.

Items provided by the Board at the Maraba Rido camp included rice, spaghetti, malaria rapid diagnostic test kits, malaria drugs, sanitary pads, P-caps, toast bags for girls and exercise books.

Other activities and provisions included refreshments for participants, face painting and hand bands.

The intervention combined adolescent health sensitisation with material support for members of the displaced community.

The Village Head of Maraban Rido, Mr Auta Alkali, said displaced persons had been living in the area for between five and seven years.

He estimated the population of displaced persons in the surrounding area at about 4,000, noting that some had lost their parents, fathers and other loved ones.

Alkali explained that the displaced persons were initially accommodated in a primary school, while some later moved in with relatives. He said he provided his premises as a central meeting point to make it easier for government agencies, non-governmental organisations and other organisations to reach the community with assistance.

He welcomed the outreach and the attention given to the needs of displaced residents.

Zailani said the statewide programme included activities at Dallas Secondary School, a disability centre, communities in Igabi Local Government Area, Rigoji and the Maraba Rido IDP camp.

She said the team visited Dallas Secondary School on the 13th for adolescent health and self-care sensitisation.

At the disability centre, the sessions addressed menstrual hygiene, mental health and gender-based violence. Zailani said the engagement revealed gaps in the health information available to some adolescents with disabilities, reinforcing the importance of reaching them with relevant information.

She said activities in communities in Igabi Local Government Area also addressed family planning and child spacing, while the outreach at Rigoji focused on child-spacing services for married adolescents.

The Maraba Rido visit extended the programme to adolescents and families in the IDP community through health sensitisation and practical support.

The campaign seeks to reach adolescents in different settings, including schools, communities, disability centres and displacement camps, with information and services relevant to their health and wellbeing.