Governor, of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has described as worrisome Nigeria’s ranking as the country with the highest maternal and child mortality rate in the world.
He made his feelings known at the opening of the 62nd National Council on Health (NCH) Meeting in Asaba.
The NCH is Nigeria’s highest policy-making organ on health matters, and platform for members and stakeholders to consider and deliberate on health issues of national importance.
Okowa said Nigeria overtook India as the nation with the highest maternal and child mortality rate in the world, in 2015, even when Nigeria’s population is less than one-fifth of that of India.
He said a review of the Second National Strategic Development Plan was imperative to enhance its operationalization in view of the fiscal constraints the country was currently facing, adding that of utmost priority was the need to develop viable and sustainable frameworks that would address both maternal and child morbidity and mortality.
He lauded the council for the theme of the conference – “Consolidating on the Journey Towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage”, saying it was apt and dear to him.
The Governor said as a medical practitioner and former Commissioner for Health, he had deep yearning and passion for improvements in the regulation and access to affordable and quality healthcare, especially for the poor and vulnerable.
He commended the Buhari administration for implementing Basic Health Care Fund which was part of the National Health Act he facilitated its passage as a senator.
Okowa disclosed that under his watch as Governor, Delta became the first state in the country to establish the Contributory Health Commission to drive its Universal Health Coverage scheme for rural dwellers, pointing out that the scheme had between February, 2016 when the Commission was established, and August 31, 2019, enrolled 630,268 persons.
The Governor stated that 472,667 persons had enrolled in the Equity Health Plan category of the scheme during the period, comprising 185,664 pregnant women and 287,003 children under five years, whose premium were paid by the state government.
Okowa also disclosed that 110 primary healthcare facilities, 65 secondary healthcare facilities and 52 private healthcare concerns were providing services under the scheme in the state.
He said due to the low number of the informal sector group members registering for the scheme, government had adopted Community-Based Registration strategy where Community-Based Liaison Officers in communities with functional facilities were engaged to carry out registration of enrollees.
The Governor remarked that Nigeria had survived previous health emergencies and outbreaks in the past due to sheer will-power and ingenuity of health workers.
Earlier, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ohanire, said in spite of global decline in maternal mortality in the Millennium Development Goals era, the rate in Nigeria remained among the highest in the world, with over 40,000 deaths yearly.
Ohanire said the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target for maternal mortality by 2030, was for Nigeria to reduce maternal deaths by over 90 per cent (less than 3000 maternal per year).
He commended Okowa for his commitment to the health and wellbeing of Deltans, saying it was evident in the inclusion of health in his SMART Agenda and in promoting Universal Health Coverage in the state.The highlight of the occasion was the formal launch of the Second National Health Plan.
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