cfhinitiative

FOSTERING AN AFRICA FIT FOR CHILDREN

Africa is the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent, after Asia in both cases. With 1.3 billion people as of 2018, it accounts for about 16% of the world’s human population. Africa’s population has rapidly increased over the last 40 years and is consequently relatively young. Over 400 million children are currently living on the African continent – and the number is rising. The United Nations estimates that Africa’s population will double to 2.4 billion by 2050. That’s one-quarter of the world’s population. 40 per cent of all children under the age of five would live in Africa in the middle of the 21st century, according to the prognosis.

Although there are major regional and social differences, children in Africa are the poorest in terms of population. The situation of African kids in sub-Saharan Africa is particularly critical: 33 of the world’s 48 least developed countries are located in this region according to an SOS Children’s villages publication. Africa made great progress in several fields in 2019, including holding peaceful elections in many parts of the continent and increased economic growth. But several unresolved challenges still stagnate any meaningful development in the continent. Challenges like Insecurity, corruption, population growth, unemployment, poor governance, to mention but a few are some of the issues that have left the continent at the bottom rung of the developmental ladder. These issues have snowballed quite dangerously, affecting virtually everyone in the region, children most especially, who become the victims of these developmental setbacks.

This has birthed in earnest the need for African states to prepare to meet the needs of their growing young population, and commit to urgent, concrete actions to protect and promote the rights of all children – now and in future generations. Only recently, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) adopted AGENDA 2040, Africa’s Agenda for children: Fostering an Africa Fit for Children. This agenda emanates from the conclusions of the High-Level Conference to assess the status of the rights of children in Africa 25 years after the adoption of the Charter, this Agenda takes cognizance of the elucidation in Agenda 2063 (paragraph 53) that ‘African children shall be empowered through the full implementation of the African Charter on the Rights of the Child. By nurturing and nourishing its children, the present generation of Africans will promote the growth of the continent and secure its future. (BCN, 2020). Amongst its 10 major aspirations include, that every child survives and has a healthy childhood; every child grows up well-nourished and with access to the necessities of life; every child benefits fully from quality education; every child is protected against violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse, etc.

A great need to ensure each child is supported to achieve their full potential is becoming paramount as the 22^nd-century dawns. Governments of countries can make this possible by firstly eradicating every form of child labour and child trafficking for children’s rights ought to be respected. They can also emphatically enforce policies and national bodies to protect children from abuse, maltreatment, neglect and other forms of violence. Also, the government can put in place programmes that focus on the physical and psychological health of adolescents, with special provisions for girls. Furthermore, legislation to support disabled children; provide improved immunization and nutrition services, and prevent homelessness among children should be enacted. Not forgetting the excluded children in the society from the poorest households who are unable to afford education, talk more of quality education, government and well-meaning civil organizations can make provisions of free education for these.

To commemorate the Day of African Child 2021, Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) will be setting up school libraries in communities where we have our vulnerable children. This will play a great role in the life of the students by serving as the storehouse of knowledge which will enable them to develop an excellent reading habit. This is what CFHI is known for, making impacts.

All this and more would ensure the all-around growth of a robust and fit Africa for the younger generation.

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World Day Against Child Labour 2021

Child Labour, Child Trafficking / cfhinitiative

CHILD ABUSE

Child abuse occurs in different ways and scenarios across the globe with over a 95million children falling victim every year, according to the World Health Organization. Africa remains the epicentre of this destructive practice which in some cases have been mistaken for discipline and justified by culture. It won’t be too early to mention here that there is a clear-cut difference between child abuse and discipline. Punishment could be essential to instil some set of values in children; however, this sort of punishment is not synonymous with putting the life of a child in danger and any punishment that harm or can harm a child has become an “abuse”.

Also, because sex is related to a temporal anti-depressant and provides relief from stress and pressure, without paying attention to family planning and the use of contraceptives, many children are born out of plan. More often than not, this case is peculiar to indigent families where children become a money-making machine for their parents thereby rendering children’s intellect futile and their emotions of no essence. Oh Yes, Children also have will, intellect and emotions. They are human!

We must consider some type of child abuse, the effect on the child and the effect of this practice on society. Until we come to the acceptance that child abuse is destructive and it happens even when parents are innocently caring for their kids, we may continue to live in the delusion that child abuse is only about sexual molestation and trafficking.

TYPES OF CHILD ABUSE

Physical Abuse: This is often time what many African parents refer to as punishment or discipline. This kind of abuse is characterized by beating and hitting that could be harmful to the child. Contrarily to what parents and guardians think, excessive beating or harming a child has been proven to be counterproductive in the training of a child. “Spanking plants seed of later violent behaviour and spanking doesn’t work”- AskDr.Sears.com
Sexual Abuse: This is when an adult has sexual intercourse with a child. Compared to physical abuse, sexual abuse does not usually leave a glaring mark and it is more difficult to identify its victim. Yet, this abuse put children in an extremely traumatized condition.
Psychological Abuse: It was earlier mentioned that children also have emotions and would naturally react within them to situations that they perceive as not palatable even though they may not be able to fully express themselves or rebel.

Turning children into money making machine- having them hawk around the street or sending them to a stranger’s house to work for money/food when their mates are in school is abuse that affects children psychologically and can ruin their self-esteem. Children who are quietly forced to live this way may appear unbothered but there’s something in them that yearns for what they are deprived of. All form of neglect and denying children of their basic right, including the opportunity to play may appear negligible but this has a great impact on the well-being and growth of a child.

Also, the kind of names children are called and how they are being addressed as a way of moulding/destroying them. I think I can hear you say what! How?

Shouting at children, calling them bad names and the use of abusive words has been found destructive to the well-being of a child. Even though this might not be measurable, it becomes evident in the lifestyle of a child if not stopped. Signs may include timidity and low self-esteem

EFFECTS OF CHILD ABUSE

The effect of child abuse (of whatever type) on a child is numerous, all of which can result in mental health problem. Mental health problem is a condition yet to be given utmost attention to in Africa and our silence on this is causing us more harm than good. Statistics revealed that 1 out of every 10 children and young people suffer mental health problem as a result of their responses to their daily lives. Facts gathered by Mental Health Foundation from the World Health Organization and various researches show that “20% of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in any given year. 50% of mental health problems are established by age 14. 10% of children and young people (aged 5 -16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental problem, yet 70% of children and adolescent who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age”.

THE GOODNEWS!

The interesting thing about child abuse is that “it is not an accident, hence, it is controllable”. Here are a few ways:

Love – Love is a language everyone understands, including children. Disciplining children in love without harm or bruise is effective in instilling in them moral values that are essential for attaining a beautiful future.
Plan for your children – The potency of a man and fertility of a woman is not tested by the number of children. Have the number of children you can cater for. Children rejoice when they have access to basic things and “their joy is not tied to the quantity or the luxury but the access and enjoyment”.
Befriend them – Often time adults act like they were never a child or tend to pretend like they were “holy children”. Until children know you will understand their plight, they won’t talk to you/confide in you. Children are not as ignorant as many adults think, they only shrink back out of fear and respect. When they need to talk, you should come to their mind as a parent/guardian.
Be Peaceful – Live at peace with your spouse and the people around you. Children learn more from what they see than what they hear. When violence is seeing as a norm around them, they may not be able to tell when they are being abused and/or become abusive. It doesn’t matter what you tell them, they are watching you!

The list cannot be covered in this article but you must be aware of child abuse, the effects and how you can contribute your quota to see that children live and live well. The effect of child abuse on society at large is enormous.

Before a family (and a Nation) can boast of a successful succession plan and an assured posterity, the quality of life and well-being of her adolescent must be evaluated.

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Men’s Reproductive Health

Men, Men's Health, Reproductive Health / cfhinitiative

Reproductive health is an important component of men’s overall health and well-being. Too often, males have been overlooked in discussions of reproductive health, especially when reproductive issues such as contraception and infertility have been perceived as female-related. Every day, men, their partners, and health care providers can protect their reproductive health by ensuring effective contraception, avoiding sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and preserving fertility (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2016). The recognized most common issues of male’s reproductive health are Contraception, avoiding sexually transmitted diseases and Infertility/fertility. One may ask why Men’s Reproductive Health is a matter of concern. According to Cummings (2020), research shows that a man’s health before conception can damage sperm in such a way that it affects his offsprings’ health. This may include behaviours such as alcohol and drug use, smoking and lifestyle choices, medications or his exposure to chemicals at home, work, and in the environment. There is increasing evidence that damaged sperm can affect pregnancy outcomes, from miscarriage and birth weight to birth defects and childhood illnesses. There is a growing body of study which is focused on damage in spermatozoa and the effects of ageing on male reproductive health. According to Selvaratnam and Robaire (2019) Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-damaged sperm is the cause of conditions ranging from spontaneous abortion to congenital malformations and genetic defects in children. it is important to pay more attention to men’s reproductive health because it has the potential to improve men’s lives and the lives of their children (Cummings, 2020). Men can boost their reproductive health by having a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a balanced diet. This may include among others exercising regularly, getting enough vitamin C & D, relaxing and minimizing stress, getting enough zinc, quitting smoking and excessive drinking etc. Society can foster an environment where men pay better attention to their health by raising awareness towards acknowledging first that men have certain reproductive health needs and secondly that these needs need to be catered to. Also, Federal health agencies and professional medical associations can develop Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials to educate the public about men’s health and how it can potentially affect their children’s health. Truly as stated by Cummings, paying more attention to men’s reproductive health has the potential to improve life for this generation and for generations to come.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Child Trafficking, Gender Equality, Speak Wednesday / cfhinitiative

GIRL CHILD LABOUR

Girls play multiple roles in the household, society and the economy. They go to school, help with housework, work in factories, make friends, care for elder and younger family members and prepare themselves to take on the responsibilities of adulthood. Upholding the rights of the girl child has seen increased support through the nearly global adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as through the UN Millennium Development Goals target of increasing equality between girls’ and boys’ educational attainment. Though life for the girl child is steadily improving, many are still subjected to horrific practices. While child labour is an infringement of the rights of all children – boys and girls alike – girls often start working at an earlier age than boys, especially in the rural areas where most working children are found.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) defines Child labour as hazardous work, demands too many hours, or is performed by children who are too young. Child labour is one of the most monumental issues in Nigeria, a country with a developing economy, affecting a large portion of the country’s children up to age 17. A joint report issued in February by Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) along with several other organizations opine that more than half of Nigeria’s 79 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 are put to work, including in hazardous conditions and about 30% of child workers do not even receive compensation.

Furthermore, the 2020 International Labor Organisation report states that the main reasons for the emergence of girl child labour in countries like Nigeria are unhealthy family life and economic deprivation. Families strained by financial difficulties cannot cope with the increasing demands of their children and sometimes even fail to provide them with adequate nutrition. This appears to be the reason children look for their sources of income. In socially disadvantaged, alcoholic or morally bankrupt families, pecuniary challenges are often coupled with destructive dynamics in the relationships. These factors combine to spur children into the street, temporarily or permanently, leading them to a vagrant existence, required too early to make independent decisions. Economic hardships and family dysfunction can therefore be named as the main causes of child labour.

For a Girl child, the consequences of child labour are staggering because they oftentimes result in extreme bodily and mental harm, and even death. It can lead to slavery and sexual or economic exploitation. And in nearly every case, it cuts children off from schooling and health care, restricting their fundamental rights and threatening their futures. Trafficked children are often subjected to violence, abuse and other human rights violations. And some may be forced to break the law, while for most girls; the threat of sexual exploitation looms large.

Although there are a lot of social programs and established policies claiming to address child labour in Nigeria yet there are policy gaps that exist that hinder efforts to address child labour and lack of evidence to address all relevant worst forms of child labour (Bureau of International Labour Affairs, 2019). According to ILO (2020), the basis of the elimination of the worst forms of child labour within a relatively short time frame must be legislation, which keeps the total elimination of child labour as the ultimate goal of policy, but which explicitly identifies and prohibits the worst forms of child labour to be eliminated as a matter of priority. Such legislation must also provide adequate sanctions for violators and adequate compensation for victims, and be rigorously and impartially enforced.

For a country which has an alarming number of child labour, a review of the legal framework of child labour which should include pertinent issues surrounding the worst forms of child labour especially those relating to girls be encouraged. Also, mechanisms enforcing existing protections for children be created and strictly enforced with proper coordinating bodies carrying out their mandates as intended.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of the Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more interesting episodes.

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MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH

Health, Men's Health, Mental Health / cfhinitiative

Men's Mental Health

Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioural, and emotional well-being. It is all about how people think, feel, and behave. People sometimes use the term “mental health” to mean the absence of a mental disorder. According to the World Health Organization (WHO): “Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” Mental and behavioural disorders affect people of all countries and societies, regardless of age, gender and income and it is not uncommon in Nigeria, yet there is still considerable neglect of mental health, and those who visibly suffer from mental illness are largely stigmatized. With an estimated population of 200 million Nigerians, human resources for mental health are scant at best. The stigma and lack of awareness around mental health produce particularly marked results for men. It is an important yet overlooked health concern. According to Mental Health Foundation (2020), “Men are often expected to be the breadwinners and to be strong, dominant and in control. While these aren’t inherently bad things, they can make it harder for men to reach out for help and open up. Some research also suggests that men who can’t speak openly about their emotions may be less able to recognize symptoms of mental health problems in themselves, and less likely to reach out for support”. So, due to a number of factors including social norms, upbringing and the role models men are presented with, some men’s mental health issues have gone unrecognized for a long time. Worldwide, even though more women are reported to suffer depression than men, men are more likely to die by suicide compared to women. Nigerian men, like many across the world, often bottle up emotions that cause mental stress. These often lead to taking up unhealthy ways of dealing with stress such as smoking, drinking excessively or compulsive spending. (Nigeria Health Watch, 2020). According to a 2019 Mental Help publication, a range of factors can contribute to the development of mental health issues in men, such as:

Substance abuse: Men may be more likely to use drugs or alcohol as a means of coping with mental health issues, though such ‘self-medication’ can make things worse in the long run.
Poor working conditions or a high workload: Work stress and a lack of social support have been associated with a higher likelihood of mental health issues in men.
Traditional gender roles: This can include feeling pressure to be a provider or societal norms that discourage men from talking about their feelings.
Financial issues: Economic factors are a top cause of stress for many people and could play a role in the development of certain mental health disorders.
Loss of work: Unemployment and retirement are associated with an increased risk of depression in men. One in 7 men who lose their jobs become depressed.
Separation and divorce: Often, men tend to see themselves as being providers and the ones to keep the family happy. Depression is more prevalent and more severe among divorced men.

As a society, it is important that we increase awareness on mental health, especially for men-changing those traditional beliefs that come with mental health issues by breaking down the stigma around this topic. It is also critical to encourage men to be able to ask for help as it doesn’t in any way belittle their masculinity and the need for more safe spaces for men to talk about their mental health struggles be encouraged.

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Monday Health Burst

Uncategorized / cfhinitiative

CHALLENGES AND EFFECTS OF POOR MENSTRUAL HYGIENE MANAGEMENT

Menstruation is a naturally occurring physiological phenomenon in adolescent girls and pre-menopausal women. Menarche is an important biological milestone in a woman’s life as it marks the onset of the reproductive phase of her life. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) as ‘Women and adolescent girls using a clean menstrual management material to absorb or collect blood that can be changed in privacy as often as necessary for the duration of the menstruation -period, using soap and water for washing the body as required and having access to facilities to dispose of used menstrual management materials.

Menstrual hygiene management can be particularly challenging for girls and women in developing countries, where clean water and toilet facilities are often inadequate. A World Bank report estimates that at least 500 million women and girls globally lack adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management (MHM). The challenge menstruating girls and women face is often less tangible than simply the availability of infrastructure and is rooted in social norms and beliefs. In many cultures, menstruating women are considered impure and are systematically excluded from participating in everyday activities, such as education, employment, and cultural and religious practices. A growing body of evidence shows that girls’ inability to manage their menstrual hygiene in schools, results in school absenteeism, which in turn, has severe economic costs on their lives and the country.

According to the Economic times’ health magazine, menstruating women need to pay particular attention to personal hygiene. During this time, a woman’s vulnerability towards potentially life-threatening ailments increases. Poor menstrual hygiene can lead to many issues, such as fungal or bacterial infections of the reproductive tract and the urinary tract. Irritation of the skin causing discomfort and possibly dermatitis, the introduction of bacteria into the urethra leading to possible urinary tract infections (UTIs), alteration in the pH balance of vaginal secretions, amongst others. Asides from its health effects, poor MHM impacts the economy through absenteeism which results in lost wages, with women working in the formal sector missing on average 2.5 days per month. A World bank study linking menstruation to increased absenteeism revealed that not only do women take more sick leave (likely due to menstruation), but a small but measurable portion of the gender wage gap can be attributed to increased absences from work.

Hygiene-related practices of women during menstruation are also of considerable importance because if left unmet can lead to serious psychological impacts. Lack of knowledge regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene leads to poor attitude and practice. There are various issues such as poor awareness; unavailability of quality sanitary napkins, poor WASH facilities; poor disposal of sanitary napkins, poor sexual and reproductive health rights education which also needs simultaneous attention for the promotion of menstrual hygiene. In this vein, Centre for Family Health Initiative has put at the forefront of its SRHR and WASH activities by adding a gender perspective to its programs by providing girls with not just adequate information on issues around menstruation but also providing these girls with access to conveniently maintaining good hygiene during their menstrual periods, through the provision of reusable sanitary napkins and equipped WASH facilities.

Though according to World Bank, promoting menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is not only a sanitation matter; it is also an important step towards safeguarding the dignity, bodily integrity and overall life opportunities of women and girls that is why an increased global awareness needs to be encouraged to accelerate a social and behavioural change as it relates to Menstrual Hygiene Management.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Uncategorized / cfhinitiative

TABOOS AROUND MENSTRUATION

According to Wikipedia, “Menstruation (also known as a period and many other colloquial terms) is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina”. Menstruation is a phenomenon unique to girls. However, it has always been associated with shame, stigma and surrounded by taboos and myths that have an impact on girls’ and women’s emotional state, mental health, lifestyle, education and most importantly, health.
Such TABOOS include but not limited to:
1. Women are impure, dirty, or sinful while they’re menstruating. (Suneela and Tanu, 2015).
2. According to Friends of UNFPA (2021), Menstruating women are unclean and that they bring bad luck.
3. Menstruating women are not allowed to touch certain foods as it is believed that they will go bad. (Friends of UNFPA, 2021).
4. Menstruating women are not allowed to walk through agricultural fields in fear that the crops will wilt or die. (Kavya, 2019).
5. Menstruating women are advised not to wash their vaginal region during menses because it is believed to cause infertility. (Kavya, 2019).
6. According to United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), disposal of menstrual pads and other garbage can lead to sickness or cancer. In some communities, it is believed that the use of tampons and menstrual cups lead to loss of virginity.

However, there are strategies or approaches to improve the status of women and to tackle this problem as highlighted below:

1. Increased awareness among adolescent girls related to menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) management.
2. Increased community-based health education campaigns.
3. Empowerment of women through education and increasing their role in decision-making.
4. Convenience Facilities should have provisions of sanitary napkins and adequate facilities for sanitation and washing.
5. Affordable sanitary towels can be locally made and distributed to girls and women in rural communities.
CFHI in a bid to overcome the challenges surrounding menstruation and menstrual hygiene practices, partners with several local and international bodies in supporting students and households in hard-to-reach communities with water provision, water storage facilities, sanitation and toilets, sanitary pads – and also sensitizing these communities on Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) and the importance of education for a girl child.

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Speak Wednesday

Health, HIV/AIDS, Speak Wednesday, Women / cfhinitiative

WOMEN AND GIRLS, HIV/AIDS

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) which can be transmitted through contact with infected blood, semen or vaginal fluids.

According to AVERT (2020), since the start of the global HIV epidemic, women in many regions have been disproportionately affected by HIV. Today, women constitute more than half of all people living with HIV, and AIDS-related illnesses remain the leading cause of death for women aged between 15 and 49. Young women (aged 15-24), and adolescent girls (aged 10-19) in particular, account for a disproportionate number of new HIV infections. In 2017, 7,000 adolescent girls and young women became HIV-positive. This is a far higher rate than new infections among young men, with young women twice as likely to acquire HIV as their male peers.

Also AVERT (2020) states that in sub-Saharan Africa, despite making up just 10% of the population, one out of every five new HIV infections happens among adolescent girls and young women. In the worse-affected countries, 80% of new HIV infections among adolescents are among girls, who are up to eight times more likely to be living with HIV than adolescent boys. It is estimated that around 50 adolescent girls die every day from AIDS-related illnesses. Nigeria has the second largest HIV epidemic in the world. Although HIV prevalence among adults is much less (1.3%) than other sub-Saharan African countries such as South Africa (19%) and Zambia (11.5%), the size of Nigeria’s population means 1.8 million people were living with HIV in 2019. According to United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS), Nigeria has the second largest HIV epidemic in the world and one of the highest rates of new infection in sub-Saharan Africa.

In the article “How does HIV/AIDS affect women” by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2017), HIV disproportionately affects women and girls because of their unequal cultural, social and economic status in society. HIV is most often spread through sex. Women may be at greater risk of being infected with HIV during sexual contact than men are. This is because the fragile tissues of the female ex organ can tear slightly during sex and let the virus enter the body. (This is especially likely among girls under age 18.) Studies show that the female sex organ due its large surface is easily exposed to the virus, thus increasing risk of infection and most women around the world who have HIV were mostly infected through sex with a man.

Furthermore, unaccommodating attitudes towards sex outside of marriage and the restricted social autonomy of women and young girls can reduce their ability to access sexual health and HIV services. Other factors as opined by AVERT (2020) which have contributed to this disparity include; poverty, lack of access to education, gender-based violence, “sugar-daddy culture” and transactional sex, child marriage, etc. Intimate partner violence, inequitable laws and harmful traditional practices reinforce unequal power dynamics between men and women, with young women particularly disadvantaged. HIV is not only driven by gender inequality, but it also entrenches gender inequality, leaving women more vulnerable to its impact.

A call for new approaches to reducing HIV rates among women is highly encouraged at this stage. Firstly, more efforts should be geared towards a universal access to sexual and reproductive health for women and girls. Secondly, increased public awareness campaigns for gender equality that stigmatize violence and discrimination against women and girls and the use of female-controlled prevention methods should be encouraged.

However, CFHI through her HIV/AIDS based programs and its social media platforms has continually advocated and still continues to advocate for the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHRs) of women and girls whilst providing and catering to the special needs of women and girls with HIV/AIDS and Orphans and Vulnerable Children in the society.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more interesting episodes.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Health, Speak Wednesday / cfhinitiative

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FAMILY UNIT IN THE SOCIETY

A family is a basic unit of study in many medical and social science disciplines. Definitions of the family have varied from country to country, and also within the country all attempting to either include or exclude certain characteristics to better portray the universal concept. The UN however gives a simplified definition of the Family as “those members of the household who are related to a specified degree, through blood, adoption or marriage.” The family as an integrated and functional unit of society has for a considerable period of time captured the attention and imagination of researchers. Reflection of the interaction system between individual and family, family and society as well as the specific activities that meet certain needs of its members is what we refer to as the function of the family. The family as a social institution is organically connected with society, and therefore some functions directly related to the requirements of the society itself. (Elizabeth. S., 2018). A functional understanding of the family thus stresses how the family as a social institution helps make society possible. As such, the family performs several important functions.

Firstly, the family is the primary unit for socializing children. No society is possible without adequate socialization of its young. In most societies, the family is the major unit in which socialization happens. Parents, siblings, etc., all help socialize children from the time they are born. It is the character developed in the family that helps the child in becoming an important or responsible member of society. Psychologists opine that the absence of family affection has a serious impact on a child’s development and inadvertently the society’s development and way of life. Secondly, the household (economic) function of the family is also amongst the most important. It is aimed at satisfying its material needs (food, shelter, etc). The function contributes to the physical strengths and health preservation of all family group members. Thirdly, the family provides its members with a social identity. Children are born into their parents’ social class, race and ethnicity, religion, and so forth. Some children have advantages throughout life because of the social identity they acquire from their parents, while others face many obstacles because the social class or race/ethnicity into which they are born is at the bottom of the social hierarchy. (UMN, 2016).

Family life is very multifaceted. Each function of the family is social. The social nature of the family is determined primarily by the fact that the family is the unit of society first of all. As a result of family functions, the vital needs not only of family members but also of society as a whole are satisfied. The International Federation for Family Development (IFFD) states that No entity can fully replace the functions families perform for the benefit of their members and the good of society. “The family is the most powerful, the most humane and, by far, the most economical system known for building competence and character.”

The Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) is committed to the promotion of health and protection of the well-being of families in Africa. We are driven by a vision of healthy families, healthy societies. Over the years, through funded projects and individual donations we have deployed several community-driven and family centred health interventions, encompassing socio-economic empowerment of women and youths – assisting them to take care of their families. Some of these projects include providing women with non-interest loans and startup kits, provision of educational and medical support, food items, skill acquisition and startup kit to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) children, maternal and child health trainings for pregnant and lactating mothers, amongst many others.

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Monday Health Burst

Uncategorized / cfhinitiative

Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix — the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. Cervical cancer affects the entrance to the womb. The cervix is the narrow part of the lower uterus, often referred to as the neck of the womb. (MNT, 2019). Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Nigeria. There were 31,955 new cervical cancer cases in West Africa in 2018, and Nigeria accounted for almost half (14,943). There were also 10,403 deaths (28 deaths every day) from cervical cancer in the country in the same year. (Balogun F., 2021).

According to Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER), Cervical cancer begins when healthy cells in the cervix develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. A cell’s DNA contains the instructions that tell a cell what to do. It isn’t clear what causes cervical cancer, but it’s certain that HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) plays a role. HPV is very common, and most people with the virus never develop cancer. The most common mode of transmission is through sex, but it can also be transmitted through the use of contaminated hospital equipment and from mother to child. The cancer is ranked second in the number of years lost to disability among women in Nigeria.

One can reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer by having screening tests and receiving a vaccine that protects against HPV infection. Screening tests include, Pap test and HPV DNA test. These are secondary preventive measures that detect early-stage cervical cell abnormality and the virus’s presence. However, only 8.7% of Nigerian women had a pap smear in 2018, and fewer had HPV screening. (Balogun. F. 2021). The HPV vaccine is an effective primary prevention measure for cervical cancer. The vaccine is most effective when started before sexual debut, which is the reason for the recommendation of its administration in early adolescence.

There are, however, two main obstacles on this path, one of which is its exorbitant cost and secondly, developing countries like Nigeria are yet to identify an organised structure through which most of the eligible adolescents can be reached with the HPV vaccine. Cervical cancer treatment options include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or combinations of these. Deciding on the kind of treatment depends on several factors, such as the stage of the cancer, as well as age and overall state of health. (MNT, 2019).

To better fight and overcome the rampage caused by Cervical Cancer especially in Africa and Nigeria particularly, it is essential to carry all stakeholders along especially as regards the introduction of the HPV vaccine to ensure total annihilation of cervical cancer. A concerted effort is required to demonstrate the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer and the role of the vaccine in the prevention of cancer. However, this would require special health education skills and intense awareness or sensitisation.

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