By Stanley Nwako
The Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, has called for increased awareness of maternal and neonatal health as part of renewed efforts by the state government to reduce preventable deaths during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.
Obidike said the state was committed to increasing life expectancy among its people and ensuring that women do not lose their lives while giving birth, stressing that the essence of the initiative was to reduce the rate at which people die from preventable causes.
He spoke during the inauguration of the State Maternal, Perinatal and Child Death Surveillance and Response (MPCDSR) Steering Committee in Awka, which formed the highlight of the meeting attended by health officials, development partners and other stakeholders.
The Commissioner stressed the need for increased awareness among women, families and communities on maternal and neonatal health, noting that early access to appropriate healthcare services could help prevent complications and save lives.
He said the MPCDSR system would enable the state to properly identify the causes and circumstances surrounding maternal, perinatal and child deaths and use the findings to strengthen healthcare services and prevent similar occurrences.
The Permanent Secretary, Anambra State Ministry of Health, Dr Obiageli Uchebo, said the initiative was critical to improving maternal and child health outcomes in the state. She called for stronger use of evidence generated from health facilities and communities to identify gaps and develop appropriate interventions.
Uchebo said the state would continue to strengthen maternal health services, including antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, referral services, blood banking and emergency response, while ensuring that lessons from maternal and child deaths were properly documented and acted upon.
The UNICEF representative in Anambra State, Mr Stan Osun, reaffirmed the organisation's commitment to supporting the state in improving maternal, newborn and child health. He said UNICEF would document key issues and recommendations from the meeting and communicate them to its field office for follow-up.
Other development partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Achieving Health Nigeria initiative (AHNi), also delivered goodwill messages, expressing their support for efforts to strengthen the state's maternal, perinatal and child death surveillance and response system.
The Desk Officer, Maternal, Perinatal and Child Death Surveillance and Response, Ikeanyionwu Ijeoma, explained that selected facilities with a high number of deliveries had been chosen to pilot the new strategy.
According to Ijeoma, the selected facilities are expected to submit weekly reports to the state on or before the 15th of every month. The reports will provide information for monitoring maternal and newborn health services and identifying areas requiring intervention.
She said members of the State MPCDSR Steering Committee would hold quarterly meetings to review reports from the selected facilities, identify gaps and make recommendations for appropriate responses.
Ijeoma noted that maternal health service utilisation, including skilled attendance at birth and antenatal care, was performing above the national average based on the data presented. However, she said persistent neonatal mortality and differences observed between District Health Information System (DHIS) and MPCDSR data indicated the need to further strengthen the quality of newborn care.
She stressed that as implementation of the MPCDSR system progresses, improving maternal and newborn care, strengthening surveillance and response mechanisms and enhancing accountability at facility and Local Government Area levels should remain key priorities.
The stakeholders reaffirmed the need for sustained collaboration among government, health workers, development partners and communities to translate surveillance findings into practical interventions capable of preventing avoidable maternal, perinatal and child deaths in Anambra State.
