Delta State Commissioner for Health, Doctor Joseph Onojaeme says the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is doing a lot to bring down maternal and neonatal mortality rate in the state.
Doctor Onojaeme stated this during the flag off of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII) Project Action Plan for Delta State, at Ashaka, Ndokwa East local government area.
He noted that recently, the state maternal mortality rate crashed from over 200 per hundred thousand live births to less than 120, emphasizing that with the flagging off of the MAMII Project, there would be further reduction of the maternal mortality rate in the state.
The Delta State Commissioner said the state ministry of health was living up to expectation in monitoring hospital operations to ensure that the money the state government was releasing to run free maternal and neonatal healthcare for pregnant women and children under 5 years, was felt by the beneficiaries of the scheme.
He said many fraudulent health workers who collected money for treatment from pregnant women, and children under 5, had been sacked while others demoted.
While thanking the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for the initiative of bringing MAMII programme to the state, as well as the development partners especially the World Health Organization, and UNICEF for their support within the past two years, the Delta State Commissioner for Health gave assurances that efforts were being intensified to crash completely maternal and neonatal mortality in the state.
Onojaeme said, ”The rate for 2024 has dropped significantly from over 200 to less than 120 per hundred thousand live births .
Some of the initiatives are not far fetched. We have currently in the state free maternal health, and free under 5 care. That means any pregnant woman attending any of the general hospitals and some selected private hospitals, will get free medical care throughout the nine months of delivery. Then children under the age of five will also enjoy free medical care. All these initiatives were put in place by the Delta State Government”
”Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is strengthening what he meant on ground when he assumed office on May 29, 2023, by releasing monthly and quarterly allocations to the state contributory health Commission to fund the scheme by ensuring that women and children of these categories, enjoy free health ”
”The ministry of health has also lived up to expectation by doing a lot of monitoring. We go round hospitals in the state to ensure that the money the state government is releasing for this purpose is well spent. The health workers in the state have actually done well but you know that in every 12, there are Judas. There are several cases of fraud, malpractices among the health workers. We have received reports whereby some pregnant women, children under 5 visit our hospitals across the state, and some health workers will collect money from them for drugs, and at the same time, they will send the medical bills to government to pay. The state government is paying for all pregnant women and children under 5 to enjoy free health care.. We have demoted some of these fraudulent health workers, and sacked many within this short period. I believe that what we are doing with the continuous monitoring, and with the support of the mothers themselves, some of these fraudulent practices will reduce”
”Report any health worker immediately that collects money for treatment of any child that is under 5 in any of our public hospitals. We run free treatment for pregnant women till delivery. Government is paying, and hospitals are not to collect money from them. We will make the phone number of the Executive Assistant to the Governor on health monitoring available, and when you see cases of demanding money from pregnant women, you should call the phone number immediately”
” I also thank the development partners especially the World Health Organization, and UNICEF for their support within the past two years”, Onojaeme stated.
The representative of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr John Ovuoraye who is a director in the ministry expressed the commitment of the Federal Government to supporting state governments to crash maternal and neonatal mortality rates in their states .
Doctor Ovuoraye hinted that 172 local government areas across thirty three states had been identified as high risk areas with prevalence of maternal and neonatal deaths including five local government areas in Delta which are Ndokwa East, Ughelli North, Aniocha North, Udu and Sapele.
He stated that with the support of President Bola Tinubu,the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII) Project was introduced as a way out, with development partners such as USAID, WHO, UNICEF, Bill and Melinda Gates Fund, World Bank,and some European countries supporting the MAMII Programme .
Doctor Ovuoraye said, ”According to NDHS, the maternal mortality in the country is around 512 per one hundred thousand deleveries. The number is high number. That of neonatal mortality according to the 2023 NDHS is 41 per one thousand live delivery. It means it’s too high”, he stated .
Continuing, he stated, ” With the support of President Bola Tinubu, we introduced the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII) Project.
Partners such as USAID, WHO, UNICEF, Bill and Melinda Gates Fund, World Bank,and some European countries came together to support the MAMII Programme .So, the target now is that within the next two years, maternal mortality should crash by about 30 per cent .That’s what we are all working towards”
”In this pilot phase, we prioritized on the local government areas in each of the state in Nigeria with high neonatal and maternal mortality. In Delta , five local government areas fell into the category. They are Ndokwa East, Ughelli North, Aniocha North, Udu and Sapele . What we are doing is to see how we can reduce these deaths throughout the country”
”What we are doing here in Delta is also been done simultaneously in five other states in the country. In upper week, five other states will key in. The state governments are releasing their funding towards this project while the federal government is also matching the fund with times three of what the state is spending to fund the MAMII Programme”, he stated”
A Sexual and Reproductive Health Specialist and Representative of the Sector Wide Approach National Coordinator, Dr Tosin Ilesanmi said the South South geopolitical zone contributed up to 19 pet cent of the high maternal and neonatal mortality rate in the country.
She appreciated the efforts of the Delta State Government for taking bold steps towards transforming maternal and child health outcomes., and ensuring that no woman dies while giving birth.
Pregnant women at the commended the initiative to combat maternal and neonatal deaths, and promised to cooperate with the state and federal government to make it achievable.
There were goodwill messages from development partners including the World Health Organization.
Highlight of the event included presentation of MAMII plaque to the Delta State by the federal government team, and the inauguration of taskforce to monitor and ensure effective implementation of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII) Project Action Plan in Delta State.
The event witnessed the presence of federal and state governments health teams, community leaders traditional ruler, pregnant women, health workers, and the local government council chairman .
