The Kwara Government is targeting some two million children and 800,000 pregnant women for free drugs, medical consumables, and other routine services during its Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Week.

Dr Nusirat Elelu, the Executive Secretary of the state Primary Health Care Development Agency, made this known at the launch of maternal, newborn, and child health week.

Elelu said the state government would distribute free, high-impact health interventions in its health facilities.

She noted that the decision to observe a weeklong distribution of the high-impact health interventions was taken by the National Council on Health.

According to her, the state is targeting these vulnerable groups across the 193 wards of the state.

“During this week-long event, 10 high-impact and life-saving interventions targeted at improving the health and the general wellbeing of our mothers and children would be delivered across all nooks and crannies of the state for FREE

“These interventions range from vitamin A supplementation, intensification of immunisation, de-worming, antenatal services, family planning services, HIV testing, malaria services, birth registration, health promotion on key household practises (KHHP), and many more,” she said.

Elelu said the programme is aimed at reversing the trend of unacceptable high morbidity and mortality rate among mothers and children.

She added that the programme had in the past recorded success in improving the health status of women and children in the country and in Kwara.

The executive secretary, appreciated development partners like the World Bank through the ANRIN project, and UNICEF, as well as the state government and other stakeholders supporting the programme.

She called on all mothers and caregivers to bring their children to the nearest health facility and take advantage of the “week dedicated to mothers and children by the state government.”

credit: PM News