Enlivening questions, enlightening answers

Mr. Manoj Kumar, Country Director, Plan Ethiopia and his Sr. Manager, Ms. Aynalem Asheber, were spending long time, keenly listening and answering to the audience’s questions during the feedback time.
PHOTO: TESHALE CHALUMA, MICRO BUSINESS COLLEGE.

Priority given by the society for the issue of maternal and newborn child health was apparent in the long, lively interaction made between listeners and the speaker. The audience comprising of students and teachers of Micro Business College; doctors, nurses, midwives from government hospital of Ambo; faculty and students from the department of health, Ambo University; and representatives from local government offices remained receptive to what a leading organization like the Plan International is contributing for the improvement of the country’s maternal newborn health. 

Mr. Manoj Kumar, Country Director of Plan Ethiopia was duly supported by the Sr. Manager of his organization, Ms. Aynalem Asheber. Both of them provided answers patiently and to the satisfaction of the audience. Audience were encouraged to ask questions. The feedback session was becoming an occasion for everyone to express concern and commitment to the cause of supporting the government’s mission to achieve better status with maternal newborn child health.  Many wished if Plan could reach more regional states.  

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Following is a brief sketch of the question-answer session:

Rural areas suffer from vehicles without fuel; mobile phones without enough talk time; drivers reluctant to drive during nigth time [...]

The scenario is gradually improving. Maternal mortality has come down from 1000 to 600; Plan Ethiopia is concentrating on awareness generation, skill development and in enhancing efficiency of the Health Development Army [...].

Mr. Ketema Kenasa

West of our country witness mothers dying due to delay in care; Plan Ethiopia’s interventions should reach distant regions like Gambella, Afar [...]

A baseline survey with the help of MoH and local bureaus decided areas for the Plan.  Our interventions could bring in progress in education in Gambella.  The country is vast  for Plan to reach everywhere at a time. But we expect to expand [...]. 

It’s good that you teach adolescent girls; why not boys, too?

Ms. Deepsikha Saikia

Plan Ethiopia focus on   sensitizing husbands of pregnant women, also. The question is good. We have to focus on boys, too. We  make adolescent girls  aware that  when they become pregnant, better not to hide it. However this question has inspired us to include boys also in future [...]

Dr. Firomsa Kissi

Desirable reporductive health is still away from rural adolescent girls. What’s Plan’s view on safe abortion? Demand-suppy is nowhere along rural areas.

Our focus is not safe abortion, but mother and newborn health. We use to group adolescent girls in sectors and help them in different ways. To improve demand-supply, in our areas, we use to provide free equipments and medicines [...]

Does Plan have a national plan? 

Dr. Nebiyu Abera

Plan Ethiopia never has a national plan evolving from it. Our plans are supportive to the country’s plan. In other words, we are part of the country’s move in these areas. We use to inspire people to take up bigger action. Whenever tasks become beyond our capacities, we pool support from other organizations, too [...]

Dr. O.G. Sajitha

High dropout of girls; Harmful traditional practices like genital mutilation; Pregnency outside marital system etc. need urgent attention. Can there be incentives for those who bring ladies for treatment? 

Plan International has an admirable framework on Early Childhood Care and Development. Our global campaign for girl children is remarkable. We had in Sudan, successful BEST programme to battle droupout. We sensitize people in the north against early marriage and south against FGM. Cash incentive is currently not in our consideration. In fact during WATCH, the idea of cash incentive was denied by authorities.  [...]

Mr. Segni Nihali

Our rate of maternal newborn child death is higher. What exactly is the Plan’s plan to improve this situaiton? 

Any plan/strategy should be in tune to the global wisdom. Always governments are supposed to bear more responsibility. We would be definitely supportive to all government initiatives.  [...]