Rep. Of the wife of the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Maureen Aghukwa
A pregnant woman named Success Solomon from Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State has been delivered of a bouncing baby boy today Wednesday, at the ongoing Round One, 2025 Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week sensitization taking place at the Umuahia North Council Headquarters in Abia State.
The baby weighed 2.7kg at the point of delivery and was taking to a nearby primary health care center located at Ojike Street where they are receiving proper care with mother and child doing great.
In her speech at the flag off ceremony in Umuahia North Council Headquarters, the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti said that the awareness being created today is to drastically reduce mother and child mortality from preventable causes.
Mrs. Otti represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs Dr. Maureen Aghukwa expressed that while expectant mothers will receive micronutrients and other quality health care packages today, any activity that will bring down the mortality rate of women and children in Abia is a welcome development and would be supported by Governor Alex Otti.
The Governor’s wife also advised mothers to exclusively breastfeed their newborn, make use of the primary health center nearer to them and avoid patronizing quacks.
She commended Governor Otti for prioritizing the health sector in Abia and call on health workers to scale up their skills with practical knowledge.
Mrs. Otti also call on the media, traditional rulers to help reduce the work load on health care providers by mobilizing women to make use of the renovated and equipped primary health care centers within their communities.
Com. for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Blessing Felix.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Mrs. Blessing Felix said that the flag-off is a collaborative effort between the Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, the Office of the Wife of the Governor, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection and our invaluable Development Partners, underscores our shared commitment to the health and well being of every mother and child in Abia State.
According to her, “the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week is more than just an event; it is a vital intervention that directly contributes to our broader goal of developing an equitable and functional social protection system.
By ensuring that mothers and children have access to essential health services, immunizations, nutritional support, and health education, we are laying the groundwork for a future where poverty is reduced, unemployment is tackled, and social tensions are mitigated” she said.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Uche, praised the unwavering commitment of Governor Otti to the health sector adding that the event is a call to action for all of us to play a role for our mothers and children to live healthy.
Dr. Kalu Ulu Kalu, the Executive Secretary, Abia Primarily Healthcare Development Agency,explained that the maternal, newborn and child health week, among other objectives, aims at delivering a package of basic interventions proven to be highly effective in both reducing mortality rates and improving mother and child health.
It is a week long activities that includes, vitamin A supplementation, routine and catch up immunization for children, tetanus Diphtheria vaccination for pregnant mothers, de-worming, screening for malnutrition for under 5 children, focused antenatal care for pregnant women, breastfeeding among other things.
“The implementation of the 2025 round 1, maternal, newborn and child health Week is a testament to our state government’s commitment to prioritizing health and well-being of our most vulnerable populations” Dr. Kalu said.
In their good will messages, Unicef, WHO, PanAfricare and other development partners commended Abia State government for supporting the health sector noting that their collaborative efforts will help roll back preventable diseases and enhance healthy living for mothers and newborns.
