ASABA/Nigeria: Delta State Primary Health Care Development Agency (DSPHCDA) will organise the First Round of the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) from 15th to 20th July 2018 with the Wife of the State Governor and UNICEF Nutrition Champion, Dame Edith Okowa flagging off the ceremony.
The Executive Director of the DSPHCDA, Dr Jude Winful-Orieke, disclosed this in Asaba during the Social Mobilization Committee meeting of the agency.
Dr. Winful-Orieke said that the campaign which was veered towards the reduction of maternal and neonatal deaths through the distribution of Immunization, HIV screening, Vitamin A supplements, family planning, de-worming and birth registration
The Executive Director, who said the campaign would also feature the distribution of treated mosquito net to children under five and mother of child bearing age, stressed that it was an integrated package with loads of health benefit to the society.
He further disclosed that the official flag off by Dr Paul Yinkore, wife of the state Governor, would take place on Friday, 13th July, 2018 at the Aniocha South Local Government Secretariat, Ogwashi-Uku.
Dr. Winful-Orieke while noting that the success of the program was hinged on awareness creation, appealed to stakeholders to support the campaign by being passionate about the welfare of mothers and children.
According to him, the MNCHW programme would involved health workers visibly identified with aprons and would be stationed in the various health facilities in the state and would also be going to schools, market places, churche and mosques.
The Director Immunization and Disease Control, Dr Paul Yinkore, while giving an overview of the MNCHW, said that the program was adopted in Nigeria by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in the year 2010 as a bi- annual event to improve the health indices of the country especially that of mothers and children.
