The Kwara State Government said on Wednesday in Ilorin that it is targeting more than 200,000 children under five years for a week-long intensive healthcare intervention.
The Governor’s Wife, Mrs Olufolake AbdulRazaq, said this during the launch of the 2024 Maternal Newborn and Child Week in Ilorin.
According to her, 100,000 pregnant women will also benefit from the health intervention on maternal and newborn care.
She added that the intervention include birth registration, immunisation, nutritional assessment, vitamin A supplementation, deworming and growth monitoring.
She explained saying, “Pregnant women will have access to ante-natal care services that include free hematinics tablets and dose of anti-malaria drugs.”
AbdulRazaq added that protecting the lives of mothers and children is one of the core priorities of the current state government, stating, “We believe that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress.
“Interventions like this, coupled with increased sensitisation about taking ownership of one’s health and utilising healthcare services could significantly contribute to reducing maternal and child mortality.”
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Kwara Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Nusirat Elelu, explained that the health intervention focuses on maternal healthcare services including ante-natal care, family planning, immunisation and nutrition interventions.
Elelu stated, “The intervention is aimed at reducing the unacceptably high morbidity and mortality among women and children under five years.”
The executive secretary noted that the services will be made available in all the 193 wards of the state from July 15 to July 19.