By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Kwara State Government on Wednesday in Ilorin stated that over 200,000 children, under the ages of five years, will be targeted for a weeklong intensive healthcare intervention.
Mrs Olufolake AbdulRazaq, the Kwara First Lady stated this during her keynote address at the Flag-off of the 2024 Maternal Newborn and Child Week (MNCHW).
According to her, a total number of 100, 000 pregnant women will also benefit from the health intervention on maternal and newborn care.
She stated that the intervention include birth registration, immunization, nutritional assessment, vitamin A supplementation, deworming and growth monitoring.
“The pregnant women will have access to ante-natal care services that includes free hematinics tablets and dose of anti-malaria drugs,” she said.
AbdulRazaq stated that protecting the lives of mothers and children is one of the most core priorities of the administration of Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
“We believe that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress.
“While it is a rather sad that most of the maternal and child deaths and morbidity are avoidable if preventive measures are taken, and adequate care is available.
“Interventions like this coupled with increased sensitization about taking ownership of one’s health and utilizing health care services could significantly contribute to the reduction of maternal and child mortality,” she said.
The Kwara Governor’s wife explained that the programme is weeklong event organized by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, State Primary Health Care Development Agencies and the State Ministries of Health.
She pointed out that the week is organized to deliver an integrated package of highly cost effective and curative services and interventions to strengthen routine Primary health care services.
AbdulRazaq added that the week also provides for simple one time delivery mechanism that consolidates services that are likely to immediately demonstrate impact.
“This is in terms of significantly increasing coverage levels of core preventive and curative interventions that can improve the health of mothers and children.
“The observance of this exercise becomes more necessary as it is important for us to be more aggressive in the fight against all maternal and early childhood diseases and ensure improved nutrition,” she said.
AbdulRazaq therefore appealed to mothers, fathers, guardians, relatives and care givers to avail themselves and their children and wards of the health intervention.
Earlier in her welcome address, Dr Nusirat Elelu, the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency explained that the health intervention focuses on maternal health care services including ante-natal care, family planning, immunization and nutrition sensitive interventions.
Elelu stated that the intervention is aimed at reducing the unacceptably high morbidity and mortality among women and under five children in Nigeria.
“The commitment of the Kwara Government is however changing the narrative in the State, as Kwara has one of the lowest under 5 mortalities in the country according to the result if the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MCS),” she said.
The executive secretary noted that the services will be made available in all the 193 wards of the State from July 15th to 19th to ensure increased utilization of low cost and high impact interventions during the period.
