C’River targets 1.2 million mothers, infants in 2020 Health Week

The Cross River State government says over 1.2 million mothers and children will be benefit from this year’s Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week.

Professor Ivara Esu the state deputy governor disclosed this in Calabar South while flagging off this year’s MNCH week.

Professor Esu who spoke through the state’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Betta Edu said 900, 000 mothers of child bearing age and 361, 127 children are targeted for the excercise.

He said the target is achievable and the  overall aim of government is to halve the Maternal and infant mortality in the state by 2021.

“For this campaign, the target is to see that we can reduce by 50%  the mortality of mother’s and children in Cross River State.

“We hope to immunize about 361, 127 children in hard to reach areas  and also looking out for about 900,000 mother’s within the reproductive age.

“We want to deliberately bring down infant mortality to a very insignificant level and it is the delligence of the health workers that will ensure its success”, he said.

Also speaking, the Director General of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Janet Ekpenyong said the COVID-19 pandemic has created gaps in health services and the campaign is aimed at bridging these gaps.

“Because of COVID-19, a lot of gaps has been created in terms of health services and we bridge these gaps with this kind of intervention.

“The MNCH week is about integrated services, an opportunity to see that if there are gaps in nutrition we will fill them”, Dr Ekpenyong said.

She added that during the campaign they will be looking at giving out all the suppliments to the mothers and ensure that the infants have access to deworming tablets, anti-malaria and screening for malnutrition.

Regina Adie, the State Nutrition Officer said said the campaign is facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Health and is targeted at improving the health of mothers and children.

Also speaking, Raji Railwan, the coordinator of World Health Organisation in the state pledged the support of the organisation for the excercise and the overall health of the people.

Julius Idoko, a representative of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency also pledged support for the campaign and tasked mother’s to key into the campaign.

The five day campaign kicked off on Wednesday the 16th and run through the 20th of December this year.