From Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State government has expressed serious concern over the rate of maternal and child mortality rate in the state, especially in the rural areas.
According to the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezuruike, during the opening ceremony of four-day training on Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR), organised by the state Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), maternal and child mortality have posed a great challenge, to the extent that the rate is alarming.
Umezuruike, who was represented by the Director of Public Health in the ministry, Dr. Michael Urom, noted that maternal deaths were regular occurrences in the rural areas, while giving assurance that with proper tracking of all deaths, maternal and child mortality rates would be reduced to its barest minimum.
“The essence of this programme is to track every maternal death that occurs in Ebonyi State; to track every perinatal death that occurs; with that we will be able to track the reasons behind it and provide the needed solution,” he said.
The Coordinator of the programme for UNFPA, Mrs. MaryJane Ikechukwu Nwobodo, said the trainees were Disease Tolerance Notification Officers drawn from the 13 local government areas, including Disease Surveillance Officers from the state.
She expressed hope that with the training, issues surrounding maternal and child death would be adequately tracked and tackled to give hope to both mother and child in the near future.