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DELTA Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa and the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, on Thursday decried Nigeria’s ranking as the country with the highest maternal and child mortality rate in the world.
They made their positions known in separate addresses at the opening of the 62nd National Council on Health (NCH) Meeting in Asaba.
The NCH is Nigeria’s highest policy-making organ on health matters, and platform for the members and stakeholders to consider and deliberate on health issues of national importance.
Okowa said that Nigeria overtook India as the nation with highest maternal and child mortality rate in the world, in 2015, “though our population is less than one-fifth of that of India”.
He, therefore, said that a review of the Second National Strategic Development Plan was imperative to enhance practicality of its operationalization in view of the fiscal constraints the country was currently facing.
“Of utmost priority is the need to develop viable and sustainable frameworks that would address both maternal and child morbidity and mortality.
“These frameworks must include the private sector support as they serve as a strategic source of healthcare service delivery enhancement.
“This is necessary, because it is important that interventions are focused on outcomes rather than inputs as these help to ensure that available resources are judiciously utilized,” Okowa said.
He lauded the council for the theme of the conference – “Consolidating on the Journey Towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage”, saying it was apt and dear to him.
The governor said that as a medical doctor and former Commissioner for Health, he had deep yearning and passionate desire for improvements in the regulation and access to affordable and quality healthcare, especially the poor and vulnerable.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for implementing Basic Health Care Fund which was part of the National Health Act he facilitated its passage as a senator.
Okowa disclosed that under his watch as governor, Delta became the first state in the country to establish the Con @ Goverment House Asaba
