BusinessDay 03 Apr 2018

Tuesday 03 April 2018
C002D5556
BUSINESS DAY
31
FEATURE
Reducing mother/child mortality
– the MTNF-Cross River way
As corporates engage in initiatives to give back to their immediate operating environment, MTN Foundation, in
collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Cross River State government, has taken its YellowHeart
Initiative geared towards reducing mother/child mortality rate in Nigeria to Cross River State.
Mike Abang writes that the step in reducing death of women during pregnancy and other health-related issues
through panel discussion was rounded off by ‘Walk for Life’ road show at the popular Millennium Park through
Whatt Market in Calabar to sensitise pregnant women on the need to attend antenatal and not resort to self-help.
We are here to
reduce the statistics
that have
it that Nigeria
is the second
country with the highest number
of mother/child mortality rate in
the world.
This was the statement of
Nonny Ugboma, executive secretary
of MTN Foundation (MTNF),
as she welcomes the gathering
of mothers, pregnant women,
nursing mothers and state health
officials and government officials
present as the Foundation takes
its MTNF YellowHeart Initiative
child/mother care to Cross River
State.
Worldwide, nearly 6.6 million
under-five children die yearly,
translating to about 18,000
under-five deaths every day.
About 50 percent of under-five
child deaths occur in only five
countries of the world - India,
Nigeria, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Pakistan, and China.
Two of these countries, India
and Nigeria, account for more
than one-third of global underfive
mortality, contributing 22
percent and 13 percent, respectively.
Furthermore, sub-Saharan
Africa (SSA) and Southern Asia
countries are witnessing an increase
in under-five mortality
despite a drop from 32 percent
in 1990 to 18 percent in 2012 in
the rest of the world. SSA records
the highest rates of under-five
child mortality in the world, 98
deaths per 1,000 live births. This
figure is 15 times the average for
developed countries.
These 2016 statistics are according
to a study by Aniekan
Jumbo Etokidem and Ofonime
Johnson, Department of Community
Medicine, University of
Calabar, Cross River State, and
Department of Community Medicine,
University of Uyo, Akwa
Ibom State, respectively.
“Apart from this being the
Foundation’ Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) initiative,
the goal of the Foundation is to
reduce these statistics to the barest
minimum, and this has led the
Foundation to renovate health
centres and facilities across the
A panel of discussion at the MTNF YellowHeart Initiative in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
state,” she said while telling the
gathering why MTNF was in the
state at this point in time.
Declaring the awareness campaign
open, Governor Ben Ayade
of Cross River State pledged his
administration’s support to the
YellowHeart initiative in order
to improve the health of the
state, especially maternal/child
healthcare programme aimed at
reducing the high rate of mortality
in the state.
Ayade, who was represented
by the secretary to the state
government, Tina Banku Agbor,
expressed appreciation to MTNF
for the initiative and the many
projects being carried out by
it in the state, especially in the
health sector as well as partnering
the state to improve the lives of
women and children, saying the
state was indeed glad to partner
the Foundation.
According to the governor,
when he assumed office he saw
the maternal/child mortality
indices in the state discouraging,
and he quickly swung into
action to help reduce the rate,
as well as ensure the state has
efficient, qualitative, affordable
and accessible health services by
appointing a young and dynamic
Since pregnancy
is not a disease
neither is it bad,
it therefore
bleeds my heart
when you see a
pregnant woman
dies
commissioner for health.
However, on her part, Inyang
Asibong, the state commissioner
for health, said MTNF was partnering
the state “to make sure no
woman dies during child birth,
as the state remains the least in
mother/child mortality rate in
Nigeria,” and used the opportunity
to invite the gathering to participate
on “Walk for Life,” which
took place on Saturday, March 17.
She told the gathering that
the Governor’s drive pushed her
ministry to establish the CRS Primary
Health Care Development
Agency with the appointment of
Betta Edu as the director–general,
to help strengthen the state’s primary
health system.
To Asibong, there is a reduction
in the maternal and child
mortality rate from 1,500 to 576
in Cross River, which is about the
national average.
She disclosed that in a survey
conducted by UNICEF, Cross
River had the highest child survival
indices in Nigeria, which
was immediately followed by the
conferment of National Child
Survival Ambassador on Linda
Ayade by the UNICEF.
“Coincidentally, we are also
the only state in the South-South
region that won the bidding rights
by the MTN Foundation Support
Project for the renovation of the
Postnatal Ward of General Hospital,
Calabar. This shows that the
state is actively contributing to
significantly reducing the maternal
mortality indices in Nigeria.
“Nonetheless, we cannot succeed
in this fight alone without the
support of well-meaning private
and non-profit sector players
such as MTN Foundation,” she
said.
Meanwhile, on hand to give
credence to the event was the wife
of the governor, Linda Ayade, who
said she was glad to be part of the
Foundation Yellow Heart Forum.
She therefore commended
them for giving back to the communities,
particularly in the area
of health, adding that many families
were enjoying the facilities
provided by the Foundation at the
General Hospital, Calabar, which
include the donation of a Yellow
Doctor Mobile Clinic, donation
and furnishing of a Haemodialysis
Centre and the renovation of
the Postnatal Ward, congratulating
MTNF for being a responsible
organisation.
Nonetheless, she lamented the
situation where many children
die from preventable causes related
to pregnancy on daily basis in
Nigeria, and therefore expressed
appreciation to the Foundation
for contributing towards the
health of women and children
in Nigeria and Cross River State
in particular, while encouraging
them to do even more.
“The private medical practitioners
in Cross River State take care
of 70 percent of the population,
and 30 percent go to government
hospital. Since pregnancy is not a
disease neither is it bad, it therefore
bleeds my heart when you
see a pregnant woman dies. From
the state medical record in the
Cross River State Teaching Hospital,
only 30 percent of pregnant
women register for antenatal care
facilities in the state,” according
to a private medical practitioner
who was part of the panel of discussion.
This is the trend the MTNF
sets out to change, hence it presence
in the state at this point in
time, Dennis Okoro, director,
MTNF stated, noting that “MTN
sees CSR as a good thing and
has therefore created a separate
board dedicated to monitor
the activities of the Foundation
launched in 2007.”
The event was graced by members
of the State House of Assembly,
State Executive Council,
management and staff of MTNF,
stakeholders in the health sector,
women groups, royal fathers,
among others.