The Borno government says it has set up 488 sites across the state for health services in the first round of the 2024 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MMCHW).

The project was being handled in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The executive secretary, Borno Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA), Prof. Mohammed Arab, launched the week at a ceremony in Mala Kachallah Primary Healthcare Centre in Maiduguri on Monday.

In a speech at the event, Mr Arab said that the sites were located in all the 27 local government areas of the state.

He said that the essence of the health week was to accelerate the delivery of a minimum package of high-impact interventions that would contribute to the reduction of maternal, neonatal and child mortality.

The SPHCDA boss also said that efforts were being intensified “to strengthen routine healthcare delivery.

“It’s a bi-annual campaign that takes place in the 1st 6 months (Round 1) and the 2nd 6 months (Round 2) of the year respectively.

“This year’s Round 1 activity will run consecutively for five days from 10th to 14th June,” he said.

According to him, services to be provided include antenatal care, deworming, HIV testing and counseling, vitamin A supplement, health promotion, immunisation and birth registration.

“There is also distribution of Sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine and long-lasting insecticide net and iron folate for pregnant women,” Mr Arab said.

He said that nutrition screening, which is also part of the services, would help in identifying and addressing severe malnutrition in children at an early stage.

“Undernutrition is a significant contributor to child mortality, linked to over 60 per cent of diarrhea deaths, 57 per cent of malaria deaths and 52 per cent of pneumonia deaths”.

In a remark, the commissioner of health, Prof. Baba Mallam, said that the MNCHW was not a substitute for the regular health activities but a measure to complement and intensify ongoing efforts to provide high-quality healthcare services.

“These interventions are designed to significantly increase the coverage of preventive and curative services, thus ensuring that we meet the needs of mothers and children effectively and efficiently.

“This initiative offers a unique opportunity for women and children to access crucial health services free of charge at their nearest health facility.

“The importance of this week cannot be quantified.

“It represents a concentrated effort to deliver interventions that can save lives and improve health outcomes,” Mr Mallam said.

Speaking on behalf of WHO and other partners, the organisation’s public health officer, Maiduguri office, Dr Aisha Kadai, urged all stakeholders to take the week as an opportunity to increase coverage and update services across Borno.

Ms Kadai said that WHO had mobilised human resources to support the outreach in hard to reach areas as well as medical and pharmaceutical supplies to fill in the gaps in commodities required for the first round exercise.

“WHO is working with Borno SPHCDA in prioritisation of maternal, newborn and child health.

“These activities are instrumental to achieving the state 25 years Development Framework, the 10 years Strategic Transformation Plan as well as the SDGs,” Ms Kadai said.

(NAN)