Kogi State: 2017 Flag-off of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week

Kogi State Government has pledged its unalloyed commitment to totally eradicate maternal mortality rate in the state. Governor Yahaya Bello made the remark at the flag off for May/June round of Maternal, New Born and Child Health week today in Government House.
Governor Yahaya Bello who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Arike Folashade said health is a priority in the New Direction agenda which no doubt has made the government to commit huge resources in the health sector to ensure quality health service is delivered to the people as one of the major focal points in the five thematic areas of the present administration.
According to him, the survival of these young children is so important to the government, describing the children as the future and representative of the next generation and encourage mothers to breast feed their children properly. He assured that the state government will not relent in its effort to ensure that it delivers on its promises to the people In the area of health.
He referred to the 10million Naira medical expense of an indigent from Idah Local Government Area that was offset recently by his administration out of his genuine love for the people to have access to adequate healthcare. The Governor called on all Local Government Administrators, Traditional Rulers and Religious Bodies to support the programme and sensitise their subjects on the need to maximise the opportunity presented by the government and to comply with the objectives of the programme to ensure its set goals are achieved.
In her remarks, the Governor's wife, Hajia Rashidat Bello advised mothers to take advantage of all the free health care services provided by the government, stressing that her office has advocated and initiated various mother and child health sensitisation and educative programmes to lower the risk of mortal mortality rates.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Doctor Saka Audu said the present administration under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello has been very active in the delivery of health dividends to the people of the state, adding that under Bello Health Intervention program, Free Medical Outreach targeted towards over 50, 000 patients recorded a huge success, free paediatric drugs were distributed to health facilities and tens of Kogites were sponsored for advanced medical attention home and abroad.
Doctor Saka said the health week was targeted at supplementing children from 6 to 59 months with vitamin A, conduct Nutritional Screening, HIV counselling and Test services and immunise children (0 to 12 months) with prevalent vaccine as well as, provide long lasting insecticidal nets, ante-natal care, family planning services, birth registration and the promotion of selected key household practices such as breastfeeding, complementary feeding and hygiene.
He added that the Maternal Newborn and Child Health week which is a week long programme will deliver health dividends to women and children in the state saying that the state government has not failed in its effort to ensure quality health care service is delivered to citizens and encouraged mothers to administer Vitamin A supplementation to their children often as it has the capacity to reduce child mortality by 30 percent if given regularly.
Speaking, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association, Doctor Tijani Goodwin said the present government has recorded giant strides since its inception in the areas of construction and renovation of health structures, provision of drugs and free medical outreach and amongst others and pledged the readiness of the association to partner with the ministry of health to ensure Kogi state health care indices is improved and for the government actualise its objective in the health sector.
The Chairman, House Committee on Health, Doctor Friday Ali expressed appreciation to the Governor for his immense support to health programmes in the state, and enjoined mothers of reproductive age to avail themselves of the opportunity in order to benefit from the project.
Also speaking, the representative of the World Health Organisation, Doctor Ningi Nuhu while calling on mothers to come out to benefit from the programme, he noted that the organisation in a deliberate attempt connects to a large number of population in-order to bridge the gap in health related issues and expressed optimising that the first of the exercise will be a success and called for the cooperation of the people.