ITU-The Patience Umo Eno Golden Initiative For All (GIFA), on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, participated in the 2026 Ibom Open Maternity (IOM) Medical Mission in Itu Local Government Area as part of activities marking this year’s World Breastfeeding Week.
The outreach took place at the Itu Local Government Council Secretariat, Mbak Atai , attracted pregnant women, nursing mothers, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders together.
Seasoned health officers carried out health education sessions and advocacies on exclusive breastfeeding and the need for parents to register their children at birth, while medical professionals also provided free healthcare services and holistic health checks.
Speaking at the event, Team Lead of GIFA, Pastor Anne Abraham, stressed the importance of exclusive breastfeeding in protecting infants against diseases while promoting proper nutrition and healthy growth of their babies, in alignment with GIFA’s Maternal and Child Healthcare thematic area.
She further commended the organisers and partners for collaborating to provide essential healthcare services at the grassroots, noting that such collaborations complement government efforts in reducing maternal and infant mortality while improving access to quality healthcare.
Also speaking, the wife of the Chairman of Itu Local Government Area, Mrs Idongesit Nkut, was delighted that pregnant women and nursing mothers in the area were receiving health insurance, birth certificates for their babies and free medical check-ups.
Mother and child care packages were distributed to nursing mothers, including Mrs Blessing Okon, Joy Emmanuel and Etoro Archibong, who all appreciated GIFA a for the support received, describing the programme as beneficial and thanked the organisers for the gifts and healthcare services provided during the outreach.