Delta State, Nigeria

Rise Against Pneumonia rally – Delta State, Nigeria

Stakeholders, including a large number of women and youth, participated in a rally on November 2 to mark the first World Pneumonia Day. The walk featured music and decorated floats with colorful mascots. Women and men from different parts of the state wore t-shirts imprinted with “World Pneumonia Day – Fight Pneumonia, Save a Child.”

The three-hour rally commenced at the Warri council secretariat and wound through the major streets in Warri, Delta state, Nigeria. Mrs. Sheila Roli Uduaghan, First Lady of Delta State and chairperson of the Master Care Foundation, encouraged mothers to prioritize the health needs of their children and called upon Deltans to join in the fight against pneumonia. Ms. Roli thanked John Hopkins University for its support and promised to take the campaign to the 25 local government areas of the state. She also commended the Delta State Government for believing in the fight against pneumonia through ensuring that children are immunized with pneumonia vaccines.

The rally featured distribution of handbills with health messages. Participants stated their resolve to join the fight against pneumonia by communicating the message to the grassroots level. In addition, Master Care Foundation aired announcements on local radio and television, distributed 15,000 posters and 100,000 handbills to 25 local government areas of Delta State, and held a pneumonia seminar.