The Kwara State Government, through the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, has launched the 2024 first round of the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW).
This program aims to provide intensive high-impact, low-cost interventions across Primary Health Care Facilities in all 193 wards of the state.It seeks reduce high morbidity and mortality rates among women and children under five with its targets sets at over 100,000 pregnant women, 200,000 under-5 children.
Speaking at the launch on Wednesday at the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency premises in Ilorin, the First Lady of Kwara State, Amb. Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, outlined the MNCHW interventions, which include birth registration, immunization, nutritional assessment, deworming, and growth.
“Pregnant women will have access to antenatal care services, including free hematinics tablets and doses of anti-malaria drugs,” said Amb. AbdulRazaq. “This intervention is part of the National Council on Health’s strategies to improve maternal and child health, delivering high-impact and cost-efficient services to women and children in Kwara State.”
She urged all stakeholders, including service providers, community leaders, the media, and especially mothers and caregivers, to ensure their children are immunized and to support improved antenatal care and nutrition. “Support should extend beyond this campaign to everyday practices,” she emphasized. “Most maternal and child deaths and morbidities are preventable if we take preventive measures and provide adequate care.”
Amb. AbdulRazaq highlighted the importance of increased sensitization about health ownership and utilizing healthcare services to significantly reduce maternal and child mortality. “We owe it to our children to care for and protect them,” she added, encouraging religious and traditional leaders to collaborate with health workers for the success of these interventions.
Dr. Amina El-Imam, the Commissioner for Health, stressed the collective responsibility for health, calling on all stakeholders to support programs aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality rates. “Health is everyone’s business,” she declared.
In her welcome remarks, Dr. Nusirat Elelu, Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, described the MNCHW as a crucial health intervention by the state government. She announced that from 15th to 19th July, 2024, medical services would be available in all 193 wards to ensure increased utilization of low-cost, high-impact interventions. “Outreach teams will move across nooks and crannies to reach eligible residents,” Dr. Elelu said. “While maternal and infant morbidity indices are still high, the state government’s commitment is changing the narrative.”
“Kwara State has one of the lowest under-5 mortalities in the country according to the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS),” Dr. Elelu noted. She emphasized the state government’s deliberate focus on issues related to mothers and children, as seen in the interventions across the Ministries of Health, Women Affairs, and Social Development.
In his message, the State Coordinator of the World Health Organization, Dr. Emmanuel Eyitayo, praised Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for the health week and other health interventions. He also commended the First Lady for her support in healthcare development in Kwara State.
Pharmacist Bolaji Abdullahi, representing the United Nations Children’s Fund Vaccine Supply Logistics (VSL), urged beneficiaries to actively participate in the program. “Mothers should come out and present their children to improve health indices in the state,” he encouraged.
The flag-off ceremony saw the attendance of notable figures, including the wife of the Honourable Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hajia Saadat Danladi; Chairman of the House Committee on Health and Environment, Hon. Olatunde Rasaq Owolabi; Secretary to the State Government, represented by Dr. Idowu Bosede Anu; Commissioner for Communications, Hon. Bola Olukoju; as well as traditional and religious leaders and other dignitaries from various sectors.
