MNCH Week: Board deploys 1,485 healthcare workers to offer free maternal healthcare

By Stanley Onyekwere

No fewer than 1,485 healthcare workers will be deployed to provide free healthcare services to children under 5, pregnant women, nursing mothers as well as the general public, that will benefit from this year’s Maternal, Newborn and Child Health week (MNCHW) in the nations capital, Abuja.
This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Healthcare Board (FCT-PHCB), Dr. Isah Yahaya, who briefed Journalists yesterday, on its level of preparedness towards the health week.
Yahaya said the healthcare workers will provide health interventions, which include but not limited to maternal health education, immunisation, nutrition, anti-natal care among others.
He explained that residents in the FCT in need of these healthcare services can access primary health centres which makes up 297 fixed post across the 6 Area Councils across the FCT.
He also maintained that the MNCH WEEK is primarily aimed at reducing Newborn and child mortality rate in the FCT, while improving Maternal healthcare.
According to him, to reduce the 568 mortality rate recorded for the Federal Capital Territory in 2022, collaborative effort is crucial for such intervention project.
Furthermore, FCT-PHCB boss noted that the week long programme will create not just sensitization on Maternal health, but also provide free medication like iron foliate supplements for pregnant women, ORT, DeWorming tablets for children from 12-59months and immunisation.
He therefore enjoined residents to take advantage of the free healthcare services noting that the FCT Administration has continued to demonstrate its priority in healthcare service delivery in the 6 area councils and 62 wards, given the recent improvement of the primary healthcare structure through the basic healthcare provision fund.