Anambra residents urged to make informed choices on health issues

---

---

By Madu Obi

The Anambra State government has called for intensified health education and public awareness to enable residents make informed decisions about their health with a view to seeking appropriate medical care when necessary.

The Director of Public Health in the state Ministry of Health, Dr Cyril Anaeme made the call while addressing participants at the Anambra State Health Promotion Strategic Framework Costed Implementation Plan workshop in Awka.

The workshop was organized by the Anambra State Ministry of Health, with support from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the World Health Organisation (WHO), through the Health Promotion Unit.

According to Anaeme, there is need for a stronger health education system in the state, stressing that effective health promotion and communication were essential to improving health outcomes and reducing preventable deaths.

He decried what he described as the over-reliance on prayers and prayer houses in situations requiring urgent medical attention, citing an incident in which an accident victim was taken to a prayer house by the people around, rather than taking the child to a nearby hospital.

He warned that such practices could have fatal consequences, stressing that while prayer could be important to individuals, it should not replace appropriate medical intervention in emergencies.

He also highlighted the consequences of pregnant women who ignore professional medical advice, particularly during pregnancy and childbirth and cited cases of pregnant women who disregarded medical instructions, resulting in serious complications.

Anaeme also recalled the case of a woman who had undergone two previous caesarean sections but ignored medical advice against attempting a vaginal delivery during her third pregnancy, adding that the woman died in the process while attempting normal delivery against medical advice.

"Such tragedies underscore the need for sustained health education so that people would understand the importance of following qualified medical advice", he said.

He called on stakeholders to develop a practical and comprehensive health promotion framework that would effectively address the state's health communication needs.