The wife of the Governor, Her Excellency, Dr. Gloria Diri launches the Bayelsa State Newborn Action Plan.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Mrs. Pasisei Ekiomote who represented Her Excellency, stated that adequate care, provision of vitamin A, recommended vacinations and special care during pregnancy and many other vital treatments are necessary to prevent stillbirths.
She pledges government’s readiness to create enabling environment for mothers and children at birth, adding that a sustainable process where every pregnancy is healthy, every delivery is successful, mothers and babies are safe so they all thrive to reach their social and economic potentials is relevant.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Inodu N. Apoku (KSC) noted that it is worrisome that each year in Nigeria, over 7,000,000 babies are born but 240,000 of these babies die in their first month and 94,000 die on the day of birth, adding that there are nearly 314,000 stillbirths.
He added that the death rate of children in Bayelsa State is more worrisome, hence, the need for the collaboration of Ministry of Health and Bayelsa State Primary Health Care Board to strategically end preventable neonatal death in the State, by focusing on quality of care at birth.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mrs. Jane Help Yawei promises the Ministry’s support to ensure effective information dissemination to the community levels.
The UNICEF representatives, Dr Abbe Egha and Prof. Edward Aleko, represented by Dr. Timipa West, from the Pediatric Association in their goodwill messages noted that their mandate is to support government and other medical associations reduce death rate at birth to the minimal.
