Cross River State Governor, Mr. Ben Ayade, has assured of quality health services and improved health sector to reduce morbidity and mortality amongst women and children living in the state.
Ayade gave the assurance on Saturday, January 18 during the flag-off ceremony of the 2nd round Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week in Calabar, Igbere TV reports.
The Governor, who was represented by his Commissioner for Health, Betta Edu, said the move was in a bid to ensure that pregnant mothers and newborns in the state are given quality health services.
He said the program is usually organized twice in a year to monitor the mother, pregnant women, and every child from 0-58 months in terms of nutrition, hygiene and immunisation and access to quality health care.
According to the Commissioner, the program aimed at targetting 856,000 children under five and pregnant women across the state, was idealized by his amiable governor, Mr. Ben Ayade.
The Commissioner said the Governor’s desire to organize the one-week health exercise was aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality in mothers, pregnant women, and children of age 0-5.
“The health week will feature routine immunization against childhood killer diseases, administration of Vitamin A for children, deworming of children, screening for acute malnutrition in children with appropriate referrals, provisions of antenatal care iron-folate for pregnant women, distribution of mosquito nets to pregnant and lactating women as well as health education on key health tips for household practices and HIV testing, amongst others,” he said.
“His Excellency, Senator Prof. Ben Ayade since his assumption of office has recorded some tremendous achievements in improving the quality of healthcare delivery services for people of the state and in this exercise, we would be covering over 856,000 children under five and pregnant women in the state,” the Commissioner added.
Igbere TV reports that the flag off ceremony held at the Primary Health Care Centre in Nasarawa Community, Ikot Ekpo, Calabar Municipality.
Meanwhile, the new Director-General of Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Janet David Ekpenyong has appealed to people of the state to ensure they utilize the one-week health exercise effectively to minimize maternal and infant child mortality.
Ekpenyong made the appeal at the flag off ceremony of the biannual Maternal Newborn, Child Health Week in Calabar, on Saturday.
He said, “I want to assure the community of immediate revitalization of the health centre to cater to the healthcare of the people in the community. His Excellency, Governor Ben Ayade is very committed to drastically reduce maternal mortality and infancy through interventions such as State health insurance scheme “Ayadecare”.”
On her part, the Permanent Secretary, Cross River State Ministry Of Health, Dr. Joseph Bassey, reminded the people that the essence of the program was targeted at providing necessary ingredients in immunisation that will keep the children safe from Diseases.
Also speaking, the President of the Medical Women Association, Dr. Bassey Nakanda, charged the people of the state to remain grateful to the Governor, Ayade, who she said has taken the health sector to the next level.
The Chief of Nasarawa Community, Alhaji Sani Sambo, thanked Governor Ayade for his commitment in the health sector, while calling on him to equip the Primary Health Care Centre in the community to meet up with all the required treatments.
