By Yetunde Fatungase
Abeokuta – The Ogun Government has planned to reduce child morbidity and mortality rate as it marks the 2019/2020 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Week.
A Commissioner-Designate, Dr Tomi Coker, made this known at a news conference in Abeokuta to announce the activities lined up for the implementation of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW).
She noted that the week would focus on providing health interventions surrounding maternal, newborn and child health care in the state.
According to her, 1.02 million children between six and 59 months will be supplemented with Vitamin A, during the programme which is scheduled to hold between Jan. 13 to Jan. 17.
“Also 1.3 million Women of Child-Bearing Age (WCBA) will also be reached with cost effective interventions,’’ she said.
Coker said that Gov. Dapo Abiodun-led administration remained committed to providing interventions for maternal, newborn and child health in the state.
She said that the government had put in place various measures to ensure an effective health care system to tackle the twin issue of maternal and child mortality in the state.
Coker said that the state government had embarked on integration of low cost, high impact services and packages across the reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.
According to her, this has great potential of creating an effective and sustainable health care delivery for women and children.
“Ogun State has embarked on integration of low cost, high impact services and packages across the reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) continuum with this having the great potential of promoting access and improving outcomes for women and children.
“Programmes such as Maternal and Child Mortality Reduction, family planning services, prevention and management of HIV/ AIDS, malaria and routine immunisation for children and mothers according to the National immunisation schedule will also be integrated and implemented within the primary health care framework,” she said.
She said that during the week-long programme, the intervention would include Vitamin A supplement for children of six to 59 months; immunisation of missed children; iron-folate supplementation for pregnant women; and deworming of children between 12 to 59 months.
Coker mentioned screening of children between six to 59 months for malnutrition, birth registration, HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT).
She also mentioned health promotion of key household health practices for improved lifestyle including hand washing, exclusive breast feeding, appropriate complimentary feeding, focused antenatal care and newborn care.
The event will be flagged off by Her Excellency, the wife of the Governor of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, on Jan. 6, 2020.
Coker enjoined mothers and caregivers to ensure their wards benefit from the opportunity being provided free by the state government.
(NAN)