Kiwanians take fight to tetanus

WESTERN BUREAU:

Kiwanians have been charged to rally together to rid Jamaica and the rest of the world from maternal and neonatal tetanus, which killed nearly 60,000 newborns globally in 2010 alone.

The Eliminate Tetanus Project is among the chief objectives for 2014-2015, said Lisa Golding, lieutenant governor of Kiwanis Division 25.

"It is time not only to double, but to triple our efforts to wipe out maternal and neonatal tetanus from the face of the earth, and it is our time to celebrate and commemorate the work of the wider Kiwanis family," said Golding, who was addressing a joint installation of executive members of the Kiwanis Club of Montego Freeport and the Kiwanis Club of New Falmouth at the Grandiosa Hotel in Montego Bay recently.

high fatality rate

Maternal and neonatal tetanus, which has a high fatality rate, often occurs during unhygienic deliveries or inadequate care of umbilical cord cuts.

Secretary for the Kiwanis Club of New Falmouth, Veneisha Cookhorn, said the club would also seek to undertake other projects that cater to the core principles of the Kiwanis Movement.

"For 2014-2015, we will be embarking on a number of projects, which would include work on the Tender Care Day Care Basic School in Wakefield, and the Jacob's Well Basic School," said Cookhorn.

She said the club would also undertake a community-service project in the form of a Child Month Public Forum and Workshop.

For his part, president of the Kiwanis Club of Montego Freeport, Anthony Cameron, also pledged his organisation's full support for the Eliminate Tetanus Project. Cameron also said one of the aims was to increase and retain club membership, as Kiwanis International would be celebrating its centenary in the coming year.

"We will be hosting a Christmas treat for 100 children from inner-city communities, taking them out, hosting a concert, feeding them and giving them gifts. We would also be hosting a major health fair in at least two schools with major emphasis on dental health."

Cookhorn, who serves as the secretary of the Kiwanis Club of New Falmouth, was named Kiwanian of the Year for that club, while Kingsley Henry copped the title for the Kiwanis Club of Montego Freeport.