Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has identified health system gaps and challenges, dearth of qualified personnel, low quality of care, inadequate utilization of available health facilities, and lack of access to essential medicines as factors fuelling the high maternal and child mortality rates in the country.
The governor, who disclosed this while flagging-off of the first round of the 2023 Maternal and Newborn Health Week in Asaba, said providing accessible and affordable healthcare for mothers, newborns, and children, is a critical component of any effective and sustainable primary healthcare policy.
Oborevwori noted that successive administrations in the state have provided free healthcare for pregnant women and children under five years in recognition of the importance attached to their survival and wellbeing.
He said his administration will not only continue the free healthcare for pregnant women and children under five, but also improve maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) services in the state.
According to the governor, available data showed that maternal and newborn mortality rates in Nigeria are among the highest globally.
“In 2015, Nigeria overtook India as the country with the highest maternal and child mortality rates in the world.
“Yet Nigeria’s population is less than one-fifth that of India! That tells you the magnitude of the problem on our hands.
“Generally, the high maternal and child mortality rates in the country are traceable to health system gaps and challenges, dearth of qualified personnel, low quality of care, inadequate utilization of available health facilities, and lack of access to essential medicines.
“Others include poor nutrition, complex pregnancy-related illnesses, and high cost of out-of pocket expenses at the point of service,” he said.
Governor Oborevwori further said that meeting the global targets in maternal, newborn and child health services requires the participation of all, not just the government with a pledge that the state government will continue to pursue improvement. . “The Delta State Government will continue to do its best to improve health infrastructure across the state and expand the health insurance scheme to capture more people in the informal sector.
“Furthermore, we shall continue to implement policies and programmes that will create wealth for our people so that they can invest in quality nutrition,” he stated.
He called for the involvement and cooperation of women to embrace and practice healthy social habits that improve women’s health, such as breastfeeding, regular physical exercises and abstinence from illicit drugs.
“It is my earnest expectation that Deltans would take advantage of this week-long programme to receive basic primary healthcare services at various locations close to their homes and offices.
“Mothers and care givers should endeavour to bring out their newborn and under-five children to the primary health centres and other outreach facilities to avail themselves of the health services.
“We need to embrace these promotional and preventive health services to avoid unnecessary medical complications, health emergencies, and avoidable deaths,” the governor implored.
He called for the support of local government council chairmen, royal fathers, religious and opinion leaders, in the engagement and mobilization of their subjects and followers to participate in the exercise.
The governor commended various partners in the health sector who have always collaborated with the state government in its march to achieve the Universal Health Coverage mandate of the United Nations.
Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr Philomena Okeowo said the goal of the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week was to improve the health status of women and children by increasing the coverage of key interventions.
She noted that the state had made considerable progress over the years with maternal mortality ratio (MMR) dropping from significantly below 200 per 100,000 live births and child mortality ratio (CMR) reduced to 53 per1000 live births.
In her goodwill message, Delta State World Bank coordinator, Dr Faith Ireye, lauded the state government for its commitment to mother and child survival as shown in the implementation of primary health care services in the state.
She said the state witnessed a reduction in the outbreak of maternal and childhood killer diseases.
“Worthy of note is the significant reduction in the incidences of measles; there was 82 percent reduction in laboratory confirmed measles cases in the state in 2023 when compared with same period in 2022,” Ireye stated.
