2024 MNCH Week: Yobe targets 90% coverage across 756 health facilities
The Yobe State Ministry of Health and the Primary Healthcare Management Board, in collaboration with development partners, have launched the 2024 Maternal, New Born, and Child Health (MNCH) Week with a target of achieving at least 90% coverage of all the nine deliverable services to all pregnant women and children under the age of five across the state.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Mohammed Lawan Gana, represented by the Executive Secretary Primary Healthcare Management Board Dr Kundi Machina while launching the campaign at Gwange Primary Health Care Centre Damaturu, said the campaign was meant to reach all the 756 selected health facilities across the all 178 political wards of the state.
Gana said the weeklong event with state outrage days was meant to provide interventions to Routine Immunization, Vitamin A Supplementation, Ante-Natal Care Services, Deworming of Children, Nutrition Screening, Nutrition Screening, Health Promotion on
Key Household Practices (KHHP), HIV counseling and testing, Family planning services and Micronutrient supplementation.
He said: “Yobe State has been conducting the bi-annual weeklong event since 2010. For this year MNCHW integrated with state outreach days was possible through the support of the support of the Yobe State Government, UNICEF, ACF International, Save the Children International, World Food Programme, Plan International, RAWYOD, GHIV Africa, Action Aid Nigeria, ALIMA, BMGF, FHI 360 (Alive and Thrive) and WHO.
“As part of the policy of the current administration to improve maternal and Child health indicators, the Yobe State Government earlier established Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (YSCHMA) and Yobe State Drugs and Medical Consumable Agency (YODMA) for better health financing and drugs and medical supplies respectively.
“Similarly, Yobe State Emergency Medical and Ambulance Services (YEMABUS) and Yobe State Healthcare and Health-Related facilities Inspection and Monitoring Agency for improvement of health medical emergencies and monitoring and regulation of health services in the state.
“All these agencies were established to improve and provide quality and effective health care services especially to women and children irrespective of socioeconomic background.
“Furthermore, the Equity Fund and Basic Health Care Provision Fund provided by state and Federal Government was in an attempt to provide free MNCH services to all pregnant Women, Children under the 5years and accident victims within 48hrs in the state.
“These have no doubt will improve the well-being and reduce the morbidity and mortality of both mothers and children and by extension the general citizens of the state.”
The Executive Secretary, Yobe State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Dr Babagana Kundi Machina, commended Governor Mai Mala Buni as well as development partners for their support towards reducing maternal and under-five morbidity and mortality in the state.