By OGE OKAFOR
Not less than 200 nurses will be educated while more than 2,000 mothers will benefit from the awareness campaign on postpartum depression in Lagos State.
The campaign tagged ‘Feel Something Say Something 2.0!’ is organized by Postpartum Support network, which is Africa’s largest postpartum depression cause. It will run from September to December 2017.
Following a successful tour of the country, the Executive Director of PSN Africa, Onyedikachi Ekwerike, who addressed journalists on the initiative said that the organization had become aware of the need to spread more awareness about the condition.
“After the first campaign, we noticed there was a need to spread more awareness about the condition and that is why we are partnering with ACT Foundation/Access Bank to run a bigger campaign for Feel Something Say Something 2.0,” Ekwerike said.
Studies have shown that one in seven mothers will suffer from postpartum depression, a condition that affects mothers after delivery and it is rarely diagnosed, which is why one wonders why a lot of new moms are unaware of the disorder.
Explaining why nurses would be educated during the campaign, the Communications Director, Juliet Otu-Ekuma said: “We decided to train nurses as well this time because since they are more in contact with the mothers, they are in a better position to speak to and assist them get the required help.”
10 hospitals have been selected to benefit from the postpartum depression awareness campaign. They include Randle General Hospital; Gbagada General Hospital; Orile-Agege General Hospital; Igando General Hospital; Ibeju Lekki General Hospital; Lagos Island Maternity Hospital; Ikorodu General Hospital; Mushin General Hospital; Apapa General Hospital and Ifako General Hospital.