BySolaOgundipe
TOWARDS attaining the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, on health and addressing the poor maternal and infant health indices in the country, Healthline Foundation, a Californian based non-profit healthcare organisation is partnering with Federal government to deliver quality health services and ensure equitable coverage of high impact maternal, newborn and child health interventions to reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality in seven States of the Federation.

The States which include Ebonyi, Taraba, Bayelsa, Kwara, Adamawa, Ogun and Zamfara, currently have the poorest maternal and infant health indexes. The Foundation is providing health care and professional services in line with the integrated Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Strategy at the selected pilot states.

Through the Foundation, renowned doctors from the United States of America are coming to carry out free medical services at these designated health facilities. They will conduct a medical needs assessment with a view to helping equip them.

A statement from the Federal Ministry of Health said the first plan medical mission began last week in Adamawa, Ogun and Zamfara States. Already, a needs assessment is being conducted and a project developed with the FMOH and beneficiary States, focal persons in collaboration with Health line Foundation. Free Maternal and New Born Child services would be provided in respective States.

Minister of State for Health, Alhaji  Suleiman Bello, who spoke last week in Abuja during the National Summit on Maternal and Infant Care (NSOMIC) Health line, Maternal Infant Care Programme, organised by the FMOH in collaboration with Healthline Foundation, pointed to the recently conducted 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) which indicated Nigeria has made reasonable progress in reducing maternal and child mortality.

Suleiman, who was represented by  Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Dr.  Mohammed Dogo Waziri said initiatives such as  implementation of the NHIS, revitalisation of the Primary Health Care, provision of free health care services for pregnant women and children below the age of five in many States and increasing health budget to provide free healthcare for mothers and children among others.

He said the Federal Government recognises importance of partnership and collaboration among all healthcare providers, stakeholders and also the intended beneficiaries as such has scaled up efforts to enlist everyone in order to reduce maternal and child mortality.

Wife of Adamawa State Governor, Dr. Halima Njiedika Nyako said a way of assessing the progress of any nation is to rate the country’s maternal and infant mortality rate noting that Nigeria was making progress on the issue of maternal and child health.

Mr Linus Awute, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health decried the fact that several million children still die before  the age of five each year especially during their first month of life. “We are not proud to say that the state of the world’s children health is still a far cry from the MDG target which by the grace of God, we shall attain on or before the year 2015.”