Abia First Lady Priscilla Otti Flags Off 2025 MNCHW, Reaffirms Commitment to Protect Mothers and Children
The Wife of the Governor of Abia State, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has flagged off the 2025 Round Two Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) in Umuahia, reinforcing the state government’s dedication to improving maternal and child health outcomes.
Represented by the Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adaeze Emetu, Mrs. Otti described the exercise as another significant step toward reducing preventable maternal and child deaths across the state. She acknowledged the progress made so far but emphasized the need for sustained efforts to safeguard the health of mothers and newborns
She charged health workers to strengthen their skills, enhance communication with clients, and uphold professionalism to ensure health facilities remain welcoming and effective for families. Mrs. Otti encouraged mothers, caregivers, and pregnant women to fully utilize the week-long free services, including vitamin A supplementation and multiple micronutrient supplements for expectant mothers who missed the earlier round in June.
She further appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders, and the media to intensify sensitization efforts to ensure no mother or child is left unreached.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Uche, highlighted that Nigeria accounts for 29% of global maternal deaths, a figure he described as unacceptable. He commended the state government for implementing policies and programmes that demonstrate strong political will to reduce maternal and child mortality. According to him, the ongoing upgrade of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the state is expanding access to quality healthcare.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Kalu Kalu, noted that maternal mortality in Abia has declined to 136 per 100,000 births. However, he raised concerns over under-five and perinatal mortality rates—69 and 129 per 1,000 respectively—which he said call for urgent action. He explained that the MNCHW would offer free immunisation, vitamin A supplementation, deworming, antenatal care, and family planning services in all wards of the state.
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Maureen Aghaukwa, described the flag-off as a call to action and encouraged stakeholders to join hands with the government to safeguard the lives of mothers and children. She noted that the initiative is designed to extend healthcare access, especially to families in rural communities.
Representing the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Kelechi Nwaneri-Udo conveyed the agency’s support and commended the Abia State Government for strides made in the health sector. He reaffirmed NPHCDA’s commitment to collaborating with the state to strengthen primary healthcare delivery.
A representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Izuka Michael, also pledged continued support toward reducing maternal and newborn mortality in the state.
The Abia State Nutrition Officer, Mrs. Nmerechi Ofoegbu, urged mothers to adopt nutritious local diets to improve family health and commended development partners for their contributions to the successful rollout of the 2025 MNCHW.
The event featured the administration of vitamin A supplements to children aged 0–5 years and the distribution of gift items to mothers and children who participated in the exercise.
