The Cross River State Governor, Senator LiyelImoke on Tuesday at Itigidi, in Abi Local Government Area flagged off the 1st Round Maternal, Newborn and Child week with a call on the Traditional rulers, age grades and Religious groups to assist in the exercise by mobilizing all pregnant women and children to partake so that they can benefit from the services during the week.
Performing the Flag-Off ceremony, the Governor disclosed that the present Maternal, Newborn and Child Health week, would be provided in 600 health facilities across the State as against 508 carried out in December last year, stating that the objective is to reach out to those who were usually left of the services during the exercise, owing to bad and difficult terrain.
Senator Imoke, who spoke through the State Deputy Governor, Mr. EfiokCobham stated that his administration had put in place "PROJECT HOPE", which is a free Health Care programme for pregnant women and under five children to eliminate constraints, particularly poor finances which had been hindering pregnant mothers from accessing health care facilities, adding that the Government had also increased the number of Health facilities in the State at grass roots level to make health services readily available to all.
He further stated that during the Health week, the Health workers would reach out to all pregnant women and their children under the age of five years to immunize them against the six killer diseases, give them Vitamin A Supplement, and de-worming tablets, and also screen them for malnutrition, examine pregnant women and give them Iron and folic Acid, while children would be registered and issued birth certificates, and their mothers would be taught exclusive breast –feeding and how to wash their hands.
He expressed gratitude to the Health workers who would be working extra time during the week to ensure that their targets are met, moreso, gave Kudos to the Federal Ministry of Health, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), United Nation's Children Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO) and Micronutrients Initiatives for supporting the programme.
Earlier, the Chairman, Abi Local Government Area, Hon. Frank Etta, represented by the Vice Chairman, Hon. Mrs. Esther Etowa assured that the Council would massively mobilize health workers to ensure that the immunization exercise is effectively carried out to cover all nooks and cranny of the Local Government Area.
He commended Imoke Administration for improving Health facilities across the State, adding that during the last two years, the Council routine immunization coverage improved from 33% in 2010 to 80% in 2012 and that 100% coverage would have been recorded in the first quarter of this year, but hampered by security challenges in the three wards of Adadama, Ediba and Usumutong.
Hon. Frank Etta intimated the Governor on some of his achievements in the Council so far, which include the renovation of Umaru Ahmed Health Centre, procurement of medical equipment as well as construction of new Health Centres at Usumutong and Bahuzore.
Highpoints of the ceremony were the commissioning of the Umaru Ahmed Health Centre at Ediba by the Deputy Governor, accompanied with the State Health Commissioner, Dr. Angela Oyo-Ita, administering of immunization on some children, presentation of Birth certificates by the Deputy Governor, a welcome song by Students of School of Nursing, Itigidi and Traditional Dance display by Igbang.
The governor is really an inspiration to so many people in that state bcos of the several good things he has done.