By Amos Aar
BENUE State Government has reiterated her sustained partnership with health implementing partners to deliver quality health services to the people of the state.
Commissioner for Health and Human Services in the state, Dr Joseph Ngbea, stated this on Tuesday during the flag-off of the 2023 first round of Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW), in Makurdi, the state capital.
Dr Ngbea who said that governor Samuel Ortom has made frantic impact in the health sector in the last seven years and particularly in the primary health care also appreciated international health implementing partners in the state such as UNICEF, Helen Keller International (HKI), WHO, ICRC, as well as other NGOs such as Women Health Empowerment and Peace Initiative (WOHEPI), Ramberg Child Survival Initiative (RACSI), Break-through Action Nigeria (BAN), Education as a Vaccine (EVA), amongst other partners.
He however expressed worry that Nigeria loses about 2, 300 every day under 5 children and 145 women of child bearing age with an estimated 10% of such deaths preventable with relatively simple measures and called on the people of the state to take advantage of the one week exercise and immunize their children to prevent them from diseases and death.
On her part, the Executive Secretary, PHCB in the state, Mrs Grace Ashiver Wende, said that the periodic routine mechanism has been shown to improve vitamin A coverage, increase Immunization rate and provide other preventing services such as de-worming, HIV testing for pregnant women and health promotion.
The Executive Secretary explained that the strategy is to adopt a state-driven approach that is built upon existing routine and outreach service delivery system with increased mobilization of communities during the specified months of the MNCHW activities.
She urged mothers and care givers in the 23 local government areas of the state to embrace the campaign by taking their children to the designated health facilities so that they could benefit from the free health interventions. She also charged those with the responsibility of providing quality health care services to be dedicated and resilient so that the end result will be beneficial to the generality of Benue people.
In a goodwill message, Country Director, Helen Keller International, Mrs Philomena Orji who was represented by the state team leader, Mr Wilson Ameh thanked the state government for creating an enabling environment for implementing partners to carry out their support.
He said that over the years, the organization has been supporting the state in various activities to ensure proper planning and implementation as well as the review of their implementation in the state in the previous years and sued for the sustained partnership and support.
