Rotary Action group for Reproductive, Maternal and child health, (RMCH), has set a target to reduce maternal death resulting from pregnancy and child birth complication by 25% in 3years.
National Coordinator of RMCH, Mr. Emmanuel Adedolapo Lufadeju, disclosed this on Wednesday during the two day flag off event, ‘Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria’, which was held at Nicon Luxury in Abuja.
“The reduction of maternal death is aimed at 4 states, Gombe, Nasarawa, Ekiti and FCT,” he said.
He stated that the programme was to assist the Federal Ministry of Health, maternal and child Audit data management which is integrated into the Nigeria health system.
Lufadeju added that the project is for healthy families, which includes Father, Mother, children, Adolescent and Elderly.
In his words: We are working with 7 local government and with 49 facilities mostly primary health care centers. Also to reach out to the grassroots in Nigeria, were 70% of maternal death occur essentially because women deliver at home most of the time, when they are supposed to use the facilities.”
Lufadeju urged every state government to include maternal and child health in the 2023/2024 budget.
He stressed that the federal government is creating conditions, guidelines to support the state and ensure that the policies and guidelines with respect to the reduction of maternal and child birth is implemented at all levels of government.
Responding, the Regional Grants Officer, Destiny Nobles, said that raising awareness on mothers during pregnancy and post pregnancy is very important because it will increase immunization rate, making sure that they are not just using traditional birth attendants but making use of the facilities in the primary health care centers.
“There will be awareness on breastfeeding and community dialogue at the grassroots level, in other to take breastfeeding more effective.
Also speaking, Pediatrician from federal medical center Keffi, Dr. Fatunke Emmanuel Tosin, noted that there is need to accelerate progress to reach the neonatal mortality SDGs target by 2030.
Dr. Tosin said estimates shows that low and middle income countries contribute approximately 98% of perinatal deaths.
