By Matthew Abi
The National Primary Health Care and Development Agency NPHCDA has expressed concern on maternal mortality that occur at primary health care as well as community levels in the country.
The Executive Director of the Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib stated this Monday at the presentation of the Agency’s approach towards achieving rapid reduction in maternal and child mortality in the country.
“This state of public health concern is a step towards the reduction of child and maternal mortality in the country. Everyday in Nigeria, approximately 145 women die from preventable cause related pregnancy and childbirth.
“Similarly, approximately 2,300 children under 5 years die mainly from preventable cause, 1 out of every 10 children less than 5 years old that dies in the world is a Nigerian.
“We are outraged by this statistics and as such it is notable that this deaths do not make daily headlines in the press, nor raise the same emotions as plane crashes, this is probably because these deaths are occurring with the poor, most vulnerable and voiceless in our communities,” he stated.
Shuaib explained that the National Coordination Centre was established
to provide oversight on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) and the activities at the primary health care levels.
The decision, according to him, became necessary after noting the high rate of maternal, newborn and under five child mortality.
“The centre shall be called the National Emergency Maternal and Child Health Intervention Centre (NEMCHIC), and the center will work with the National Polio Emergency Operations Centre and transit polio resources towards RMNCAH and intervention,” he further stated.
