Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Government has announced the commencement of the door-to-door campaign to create awareness on the Safe Motherhood Initiative recently launched by the state government.
Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso- Markson, who disclosed this known, in Yenagoa, during the inauguration of the committee on the sensitisation campaign, said the administration of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson was determined to ensure that the infant mortality rate is curtailed in the state.
Iworiso- Markson who was flanked by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ebitimula Etebu and the Chairman of the Primary Health Care Board, Mrs. Victoria Denenu, said the intention of the government is to create awareness for the Safe Motherhood Initiative to all the communities in the state.
“The Safe Motherhood Initiative is a very important programme because the number of our pregnant women that died across our various communities is worrisome.
“We are losing them because of some of the cultural practises make them not to go to the hospital and as a result of that the gory statistics of infant mortality made Governor Henry Seriake Dickson to come up with this initiative to curtail to a large extent.
“What is interesting to note that we have taken a cue from the launch from the Summit to take the sensitization campaign that would take the message to all the nook and crannies of the state.
“Let me say here and now that we shall reach all communities. This is how important this assignment is to us. This is because this is where cases of infant mortality are high due to lack of awareness.
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“What is therefore important is that Governor Dickson has said Bayelsa does not want infant and their mothers to die again.
“This is the mandate that we have been given. We are going to work with the Ministry of Health, the Primary Health Care Board and take this message to every community.
“We are deploying all conventional and unconventional methods to get this message to everybody. We would be adopting the door to door approach”
On his part, Prof. Etebu explained that the Ministry of Health which is also actively involved in the awareness programme has introduced the awareness programme to the Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) to take pregnant women to health centres because of complications as the state is determined to save as many pregnant women as possible.