The wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti
Mrs. Priscilla Otti, the wife of the Governor of Abia State, said that any policy that will help to reduce the mortality rate of maternal and newborn babies in Abia State will receive a big nod from Governor Alex Otti.
Mrs. Otti represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs in Abia, Dr. Maureen Aghukwa stated this today at the flag off ceremony of round 2, maternal new-born and child health week 2024 at Apumiri Ubakala in Umuahia South Local Government Area of the state.
She commended the state government, the Abia Primary Healthcare Development Agency for prioritizing the health of Abians by providing quality healthcare to maternal and newborn babies in the state.
“This is a special event that provides a package of care to the health of the mother and child.
While I commend our development partners for their support, I also call on health care workers to improve their skills to make our health care services attractive because death by preventable causes is unacceptable and should be seen as a violation of human rights,” Mrs. Otti said.
In his speech, the Mayor of Umuahia South Local Government Area, Mr. Chinedu Enwereuzo expressed gratitude to Abia Primary Health Care Development Agency for choosing his council for the flag off ceremony.
He advised his council women to take advantage of the pro bono services provided by APHCDA to care for their health.
Enwereuzo pointed out that one of the areas he campaigned vigorously is the scale up of the health sector, reason being that health is wealth.
According to him, while I appreciate what Governor Otti is doing in the health sector, I will take a cue and replicate such in my local council.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary, Abia Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Kalu Ulu Kalu said that all the maternal and newborn child health week conducted in Abia State since 2010 were successful though there were pockets of challenges.
In this round 2, APHCDA under the State ministry of health has packaged quality health care service delivery to mother and child.
Some of these interventions are in the areas of vitamin A supplement, de-worming, screening of children for malnutrition, ante-natal care for pregnant women(supplementation with iron/folic acid tablets and intermittent preventive treatment for malaria).
Others are immunization(all the routine antigens according to schedule and for missed opportunities), family planning service, exclusive breastfeeding, hiv testing, health education, birth registration and issuance of birth certificates.
Dr. Ulu maintained that the importance of this week long activities is to reduce morbidity and mortality from preventable causes and to improve the general wellbeing of the beneficiaries.
He advised all pregnant women, nursing mothers and indeed all caregivers in Abia State to take full advantage of this government measures to improve their health.
