Every Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Week presents an opportunity to reach thousands of women and children with lifesaving health services. This June, TAConnect, through the Transforming Health and Resilience for Individuals Through Vibrant Empowerment (THRIVE) Project, joined government and development partners in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States to commemorate the weeklong campaigns.
Implemented in collaboration with State Primary Health Care Development Agencies, Ministries of Health, UNICEF, WHO, Nutrition International, Zipline, and other partners, the campaign delivered an integrated package of high-impact interventions aimed at improving the health and well-being of pregnant adolescents, breastfeeding mothers, and children under five years of age living with HIV.
Across both states, beneficiaries accessed routine childhood immunization, Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, nutrition assessment and counselling, multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women, and health education promoting exclusive breastfeeding and optimal infant and young child feeding practices. In Akwa Ibom State, the campaign also supported the introduction of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for nine-year-old girls, marking an important step toward preventing cervical cancer among future generations.
While these services were delivered through community outreaches and school-based activities, TAConnect’s contribution extended beyond campaign implementation. Through the THRIVE Project, the organisation worked alongside government systems and implementing partners to strengthen community mobilization, improve referrals, and increase access to integrated reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health, nutrition, and malaria services for vulnerable households, including children and adolescents living with HIV.
The MNCH Week campaign also provided an opportunity to reinforce the capacities of frontline health workers and community structures that remain critical to sustaining service delivery beyond the campaign period. By working through existing government platforms and collaborating with Ward Development Committees, community health agents, civil society organisations, and implementing partners, TAConnect continues to promote locally owned and sustainable solutions that strengthen health system performance.
The THRIVE Project, a five-year United States Government-supported initiative led by the Center for Clinical Care and Research Nigeria (CCCRN) in partnership with Project HOPE, Heartland Alliance, and TAConnect, seeks to improve the health and well-being of children and adolescents living with HIV while reducing HIV-related risks among uninfected young people. Across 15 states, TAConnect contributes to this vision by strengthening integrated service delivery and ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to comprehensive health and nutrition services through existing government programmes.
As a technical assistance partner, TAConnect supported coordination efforts that connected community structures with health facilities, helping ensure that eligible women and children were identified, informed, and linked to available services. By leveraging platforms such as the MNCH Week, the organisation demonstrates how strategic technical assistance can amplify the reach of national health campaigns, strengthen collaboration across partners, and ensure that lifesaving interventions reach the women, children, and adolescents who need them most. This approach reflects TAConnect’s broader commitment to strengthening community systems and improving equitable access to quality Primary Healthcare.
