Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State on Thursday, June 22, decried the dearth of qualified medical personnel, saying it was a major contributor to the high rate of child and maternal mortality in Nigeria
Oborevwori said this during the flag -off of the first round of 2023 Maternal and Newborn Health week in Asaba.
According to him, the situation is caused by health system gaps, challenges, low quality care, inadequate utilization of available health facilities and lack of access to essential medicines among etc.
Oborevwori noted that providing accessible and affordable healthcare for mothers, newborns and children is critical to any effective and sustainable primary healthcare policy.
He opined that successive administrations in the state had provided free healthcare for pregnant women and children under the age of five in recognition of the importance that was attached to their survival and well-being.
Gov. Oborevwori promised that his administration would continue the free healthcare and improve Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) services in the state.
Oborevwori also said that poor nutrition, complex pregnancy-related illnesses and high out-of-pocket expenses at the point of service were part of the challenges of the sector.
”To meet the global targets in maternal, newborn and child health services requires the participation of all, not just the government.
“The Delta State government will continue to do its best to improve health infrastructure across the state and expand the health insurance scheme to capture more people in the informal sector.
He called for the support of Local Government Council Chairmen, royal fathers, religious and opinion leaders in the engagement and mobilization of their subjects and followers to participate in this exercise.
Oborevwori applauded various partners in the health sector who had always collaborated with the state government in its march to achieving the Universal Health Coverage mandate of the United Nations (UN).
On his part, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr Philomena Okeowo, said the goal of the MNCH week was to improve the health status of women and children by increasing the coverage of key interventions.
