Grace Omachoko
Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, wife of Ekiti State Governor, has flagged-off the second round of 2023 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW).
She noted that Ekiti State offers the most qualitative, affordable and accessible health care delivery in the South Western part of the country.
The First Lady, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Adebimpe Aderiye in her address stated that the present administration since inception has embarked on the renovation of all primary and secondary health facilities in the State to ensure access to quality healthcare services as part of efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality rate in the State.
Dr. Oyebanji restated that the week-long programme was meant to provide basic health interventions through integrated approach in all government health facilities and some designated centres in the 16 Local Governments and 22 Local Council Development Areas of the State.
The governor’s wife expressed her displeasure on the 2018 Nigeria demography report which showed that the Nation had a mortality rate of 132 per1000 live births while the South West Geopolitical Zone had 62 per 1000 and Ekiti had 95 per 1000 live births.
She noted the efforts of Governor Biodun Oyebanji in the health sector, pointing that the State has become one of the leading States with low maternal and child death rate in Nigeria, with an appeal to mothers, to avail themselves and make use of the opportunity presented by the 5-day food supplementation exercise to boost their health and well-being.
Dr. Oyebanji said the 61% success recorded in the first-round of the exercise this year was unacceptable, calling on the caregivers to intensify efforts at reaching the targeted beneficiaries.
In his opening remarks, the Commissioner for Budget, Economic Planning
and Performance Management, Oyeniyi Adebayo said the programme which was established as Child Health Day (CHD) in 1929 by World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was domesticated by 134 countries in 2009 to improve on the
health and wellness of children below 5years and their mothers.
Adebayo said the integrated health delivery services was meant to give
Vitamin ‘A’ supplements to children between ages 6 and 59months, deworming of 12-59months old children and offering of micro-nutrients
supplements to pregnant women across the State.
The Commissioner said the exercise was not only free, but was safe
and healthy, apparently the development partners like the World Health
Organization and UNICEF for their support at ensuring a safe and
healthy state.
Also in his welcome address, the Chairman, State Committee on Food and
Nutrition, who is the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget, Economic planning and performance Management, Barrister Olusola Akinluyi described (MNCHN) as a “Simple one-time service delivery mechanism that consolidates service geared towards significantly increasing coverage levels of all the core preventive and curative interventions that improve the health of mothers and children”
Akinluyi said the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week which was
introduced in Ekiti State in 2010 is aimed at reducing high rate of death among pregnant women, nursing mothers and children below five years of age in a lot state through routine immunization, vaccines, vitamin ‘A’ supplements, deworming tablets, screening for malnutrition, birth registration and promotion of other child protection services.
He expressed his appreciation to Governor Biodun Oyebanji for his support at ensuring the success of the flagged-off of the exercise.