The Wife of the State Governor, Dame Edith Okowa, has reiterated the commitment of the State Government towards the provision of health for all Deltans.
Dame Okowa stated this in Asaba when she flagged off the second round of Maternal Newborn Child Health Week (MNCHW).
She said that the state government as part of efforts to strengthen the health care of Deltans had started implementing free medical care for the elderly and disabled as well as improved the free under five medical services.
Dame Edith Okowa called on mothers to be the ambassadors of health for their wards by taking vaccination of their children and wards seriously or be held responsible if preventable diseases affect them, stressing that ignorance was not an excuse.
She further called on women to help in the reduction ratio of maternal mortality by choosing from the various family planning options saying that family planning reduces the death of mothers.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge during his opening address said that the State had successfully implemented 16 rounds of the MNCHW since its inception in march 2010.
He said that the programme was an intervention measure for preventive and curative services aimed to reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality rate in Nigeria.
Dr Azinge noted that with the contributory health insurance scheme and the Delta State Strategic Health Work Plan, the state was poised to improving healthcare coverage.
On her part the Chairman of Delta State Primary Health Care Development Agency (DSPHCDA) Dr Mrs Isioma Okobah, said that the Agency was working according to the 1978 declaration on Primary Health Care.
She said that activities would involve fixed post in the health facilities and outreach to markets, school, churches and mosque and appealed to communities to own the programme.
She further praised the resilience of the health workers for their dedication, focus and commitment to duty in the various primary healthcare centres especially in the rural communities for bringing health services closer to Deltans.
Speaking on behalf of the donor partners of the MNCHW, UNICEF Rivers’ Field Office, Mrs Ngozi Onuorah, said that the state was in the five priorities state due to the commitment of the state government.
She appreciated the Governor for approving nutrition and immunization activities in the year 2018 budget opining that it would help in improving the statistics of the state.
In the same vein, the state coordinator of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Ofonakor Uzoka, said that Nigeria was the second largest contributor to maternal mortality worldwide and appealed to the state government to sustain the health drive by releasing the state government conditional counterparts fund.
He said that the NPHCDA was renovating one Primary health facility per ward in the state to boost health care delivery.
Highpoint of the ceremony was the vaccination of children by Dame Edith Okowa, Mrs Kevwe Agas, wife of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Azinge, Dr Okobah, the Omu of Anioma, Obi Martha Dunkwu, Omu of Ahaba, Obi Dr Ada Biose, officials of WHO, UNICEF and other personalities present.
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