Mrs Augustina Otu, an official of the Ebonyi Ministry of Health says that the government of Ebonyi is making concerted efforts to achieve a zero maternal mortality rate in the state.
Otu, stated this in an interview with the Summitnews on Tuesday in Abakaliki adding that maternal mortality was calculated following a national survey and was updated in the 2018 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) which was 512 per 100,000 live births.
“The State Ministry of Health and State Primary Health Care Development Agency have been making conscious efforts to see a reduction in maternal, newborn and child mortality in the state.
“This is exemplified by the establishment of the State Emergency Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Intervention Centre in 2020 which I serve as the programme manager.
“The state has embarked on activities like Emergency Transport Scheme (ETS) to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality.
“The state provided tricycles to the LGAs as an ambulance to help transport women to the health facilities.
” The United States Agency for International Development-Integrated Health Programme (USAID-IHP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and SPHCDA has trained members of the National Union of Raod Transport Workers ( NURTW) and volunteer drivers in some selected LGA.
“The training aims to assist in transporting mothers and children in cases of emergency to save lives in the state.
“The state has also trained health workers to help provide skilled birth attendants to reduce maternal and child mortality in the state.
“The state is working with the health partners in the state to create more access to drugs and maternal service,” Otu said.
The manager noted that Gov Dave Umahi of Ebonyi had provided access roads to most of the health facilities in the state to ease transportation challenges stressing that the efforts were geared towards reducing maternal deaths in the state.
Otu faulted a newspaper published on June 21 allegedly quoting her saying that Ebonyi’s maternal and child mortality rate stood at 7014, describing the said publication as false and misleading and calling on the public to discountenance the said article.
“During a one-day training of health workers towards the June/July Maternal, Newborn Child Health Week in Ebonyi, I was quoted as being a staff of IHP and that maternal mortality rate in Ebonyi was misquoted as 7014.
“1 hereby debunk the statements and wish to state that I am not a member of staff of IHP and that the 7014 maternal mortality rate that I was quoted as saying is false and should be disregarded,” she said.
