By,Vitalis Ugoh, Calabar.
Cross River State Government has bemoaned the high rate of child morality in the state.
Dr. Beta Edu Special Adviser to the governor on community health stated this in Calabar while speaking at a health workshop.
Edu who put the mortality rate at 147 in every 1000 children said this in Calabar during a health sensitization workshop organized by the Federal Ministry of Health for stakeholders in the health sector, community based organisations and journalists.
She reiterated the commitment of the government to ensure that maternal and child mortality is reduced to the barest minimum.
She disclosed that the present administration had approved free medical treatment for pregnant women and children under the age of five.
Reflecting on the importance of the workshop, she said that the neonatal live saving drugs was very important adding that “the state already boast of some of the commodities hence, will partner the federal ministry of health to sensitize Cross Riverians on the issue.
This advocacy for neonatal live saving commodities she said include injectable antibiotics, antenatal corticosteroid, resuscitation devices and chlorhexidine gel and is very important to state.
“Already”, Edu added “we have most of these commodities in our facilities so we are happy that the ministry of health has come to reemphasize why the commodities should be given general acceptance by both the private and public sector. We hope to sustain this campaign even as we encourage the public to patronize these commodities”, she said.
Earlier, the Principal Health Education Officer of the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs Ajoko Janet, charged pregnant women to ensure that they make regular visit to the nearest health facility each time they experience abdominal pain and severe headache, bleeding, water leakage before time of delivery.
She said development partners like the World Health Organization (WHO) have made drugs available in health facilities to strengthen newborn lungs to increase the chances of their survival of infected babies from day one to 28days of delivery.
According to her, “this campaign is very important as many mothers and children especially in the rural areas die as a result of curable minor health challenges.
“With the kind of response we have received today from participants, we are hopeful that the campaign will go viral and we encourage the state government and private organizations not to allow these commodities die after this event”.
