The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has declared a state of emergency on public health concern on maternal newborn and child death occurring at the primary health centres.

 

A Similar declaration is expected in the states in the next few days to track maternal and child mortality.

 

The agency also set a target of reducing the mortality rate in maternal and child by half in the next two years.

 

The states also assured of their buy in to ensure that the initiative achieve its purpose

 

Nigeria has one of the worst record in maternal and child mortality in the world. It is recorded that in Nigeria approximately 145 women under the age of 15-45  die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth while 2300 children under five years old die mainly from preventable causes

 

Consequently, the agency said it will establish a national coordination centre within the agency to provide oversight on the ourl8ned activities.

 

The centre, according to the Executive Director of the agency, Dr. Fasal Shuaib shall be called the National Emergency Maternal and Child Health Intervention Centre. (NEMCHIC).

 

Already, the country has received support worth $1.3l million which is to be matched by the government $1.97 million for the next ten years. This fund is to support the country’s immunization programme as part of the efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality in Nigeria.

 

Shuaib who lamented appalling health statistic in the country, especially in the area of maternal and child mortality rate noted that there is the need to break the culture of silence over preventable deaths in the country.

 

He said: “Having noted the high rate of maternal, newborn and H dear-5 child mortality, and the insufficiency of our current efforts to reverse the trend, I hereby declare a state of public health concern on maternal, newborn and child deaths occurring at the Primary Health Care and Community levels and a decision to establish a National Coordinator Centre within the NPHCDA to provide oversight on RMNCAH + N activities at the Primary Health Care level.”

 

This Centre he said shall be called the National Emergency Maternal and Child Health Intervention Centre (NEMCHIC).

 

To ensure the success of the new initiative to address the situation, he said the Centre will work with the National Polio Emergency Operations Centre and transit polio resources towards RMNCAH +N.

 

On what the agency will be doing differently, he said the government at the Centre will urgently take action by providing leadership to reverse the trend by half years 2021.

 

The NPHCDA boss also noted that steps will be taking to investigate death of any woman related to childbirth.

 

To this he also noted that a toll-free numbers will be provided for Nigerians to supply information so as to raise the sense of accountability for such a preventable deaths.

 

Besides, Shuaib said attention will be paid to all the states in the country since no state has been able to reach the target.

 

The 36 states of the Federation have also assured of their buy in to ensure that the initiative achieve its purpose.