National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By By Taiwo Niyi
The Kwara State Government, through the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, has launched the 2024 Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Week (MNCHW).
This initiative aims to deliver high-impact, low-cost health interventions across Primary Health Care Facilities in all 193 wards in the state.
The programme is designed to reduce morbidity and mortality rates among women and children under five.
During the flag-off at the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency premises in Ilorin, the First Lady of Kwara State, Amb. Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, highlighted the MNCHW’s focus areas, including birth registration, immunisation, nutritional assessments, vitamin A supplementation, deworming, and growth monitoring.
Amb. AbdulRazaq emphasised that pregnant women will receive antenatal care services with free hematinics tablets and anti-malaria drugs.
This initiative aligns with the National Council on Health’s strategies to enhance maternal and child health in Kwara State.
She urged stakeholders, service providers, community leaders, the media, and especially mothers and caregivers, to ensure children are immunised and support improved antenatal care and nutrition.
“Maternal and child deaths are often preventable with adequate care and preventive measures,” she noted.
The First Lady encouraged mothers, fathers, guardians, and caregivers to utilise these opportunities, while also calling on religious and traditional leaders to collaborate with health workers to ensure the success of these interventions.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina El-Imam, reiterated that health is a collective responsibility and urged stakeholders to support the programmes to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates.
Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Nusirat Elelu, described the MNCHW as a critical state health intervention, ensuring medical services are available across all 193 wards from July 15 to 19, 2024.
Outreach teams will cover every part of the state, addressing high maternal and infant morbidity indices.
Dr. Elelu highlighted that Kwara State has one of the lowest under-5 mortality rates in the country, according to the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey.
Elelu reiterated the state government’s commitment to maternal and child welfare through various interventions across the Ministries of Health, Women Affairs, and Social Development.
In his goodwill message, World Health Organisation State Coordinator, Dr. Emmanuel Eyitayo, praised Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq for his commitment to maternal and infant health.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Vaccine Supply Logistics representative, Pharmacist Bolaji Abdullahi, urged beneficiaries to actively participate in the programme and enhance the state’s health indices.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by the wife of the Honourable Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hajia Saadat Danladi; Chairman, House Committee on Health and Environment, Hon. Olatunde Rasaq Owolabi; Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Idowu Bosede Anu; Commissioner for Communications, Hon. Bola Olukoju; as well as traditional and religious leaders, among other dignitaries.
