ANSG inaugurates Maternal Newborn and Child Health week
By John Ndu, Awka
Anambra State Government has inaugurated the first Round of 2019 Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW).
The event took place at Primary Health Center, Egbu Umuenem, Otolo Nnewi, Nnewi North Local Government Area.
It was started last Sunday and would last for six days in all the Primary Health Centres in the state.
Inaugurating the programme, the Governor, Chief Willie Obiano re-echoed that his administration would continue to provide necessary facilities that would promote health.
The Governor stated that over two million people had been immunized in the state since 2014, and would continue to provide logistics that would ensure wider coverage.
Governor Obiano recalled that he had procured 21 speed boats and water ambulances to ensure rapid response to health challenges across riverine areas.
“I urge religious leaders, traditional rulers and President Generals to continue creating awareness on the need for women to come out and get their children immunized.
“Last year, Anambra came first in the immunization coverage. This was possible due to our investment in health. I will continue to promote health,” Governor Obiano added.
On his part, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Vincent Okpala, said Child Health week was a biannual event aimed at delivering a package of basic interventions that are highly effective in reducing child mortality while improving mother and child health.
Dr. Okpala maintained that the programme was in conjunction with other routine services, aimed at reducing neonatal, maternal and child morbidity and mortality in the country.
Also speaking, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency, ASPHCDA, Dr. (Mrs.) Chioma Ezenyimulu, noted that Gov Obiano had invested huge amount in health.
Dr. Ezenyimulu noted that Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) was aimed at “contributing towards improving the health status of Nigerian women and children by increasing coverage of key Maternal, Newborn baby and Child Health intervention by 50% of the current indices in 2020”.
According to her, the intervention would include Nutrition Screening (Mid Upper Arm Circumference), vitamin A supplement, Birth registration, family planning.
Others are distribution of Long Lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets, Deworming, Oral Polio Vaccination, Yellow Fever Vaccination, and Hepatitis B Vaccination among others.
She explained that the commodities would be dispensed free of charge at all primary health centres.
She called on all pregnant women in the state as well as care givers to bring out children, aged 6 months to 5 years, to the nearest primary health centres to receive these life saving commodities.
