EDO SEEKS PARTNERSHIPS TO CURB MATERNAL, NEWBORN DEATHS

Edo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole, has called for stronger collaboration between government, development partners and private healthcare providers to reduce maternal and newborn deaths, stressing that no woman should lose her life while giving birth.

He made the call at the celebration of Med-Vical International’s seventh anniversary of community service and the launch of its Med-Vical School Health Programme and Maternal, Small and Sick Newborn Infants Initiative on Thursday.

The commissioner also said the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo had made maternal and child healthcare a priority through the strengthening of primary healthcare centres, renovation of health facilities and expansion of access to quality services across the state.

He said, “The health of mothers and children remains the foundation of every prosperous society. When we invest in safe motherhood, we are investing in the future of our children.

“While we have recorded significant progress, we must continue to confront our challenges with honesty and urgency because every maternal death is one too many.”

Recalling a maternal death recorded after what appeared to be a successful Caesarean section at the Central Hospital, Benin City, some years ago, Oshiomhole said the painful incident reinforced the need for continuous improvements in healthcare delivery.

“Every pregnant woman, particularly those undergoing Caesarean delivery, must be properly assessed for risk factors such as infection and multiple pregnancy and given appropriate preventive care.

“Every mother who comes to our hospitals to give life deserves to return home safely to her family. The government cannot do it alone; meaningful partnerships remain critical,” he added.

Earlier, Chairman of Med-Vical International, Prof. Ehijie Enato, described Nigeria’s maternal and newborn health indices as alarming, adding that the country records the highest number of newborn deaths in Africa and the second highest globally.

He said the organisation would continue to complement government efforts through quality clinical services, training of frontline healthcare workers and community-based interventions aimed at reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality.

Delivering the keynote lecture titled, “Preserving Our Future: Innovation Strategies for Accelerating Maternal, Newborn and Child Health

 Outcomes in Nigeria,” Professor of Paediatric Neurology and Infectious Diseases, Prof. George Akpede, argued that Nigeria’s greatest challenge was not the absence of innovation but poor implementation of proven healthcare interventions.

“The conversation should no longer be about discovering new innovations alone. We already have effective, evidence based interventions that can save thousands of mothers and babies if we consistently apply them.

“While there have been many innovations over the years, the real question is: how far have we gone in implementing them effectively?

“Beyond innovation itself, if we consistently do the basic things the right way even using proven, traditional approaches we would be in a much better position than we are today. Many of the challenges we face are not because solutions do not exist, but because we have not fully embraced and applied the ones already available to us.”

The occasion also featured a call by the chairman of the occasion, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jerry Eiyegbenin, represented by his son, Eiyegbenin Jerry (Jnr.), for governments at all levels, development partners and private organisations to support Med-Vical International’s initiatives.

The highpoint of the ceremony was the official launch of the Med-Vical School Health (MSH) Programme and the Maternal, Small and Sick Newborn Infants Initiative (MaSSNII), both aimed at improving maternal, newborn and child health outcomes in Nigeria.