The Enugu State Government says it is committed to ending maternal and newborn mortality in the state through its various policies and interventions.
Prof. Emmanuel Obi, the state commissioner for Health, stated this during event to commemorate the 2025 Safe Motherhood Day in Enugu state on Tuesday.
The theme for event was, “Innovating for Safer Birth; A Collective Responsibility to Crash Maternal Mortality.”
Obi said that the state was closing the gaps in accessing healthcare, to uphold the dignity of every woman during childbirth.
He said that the ministry would commence maternal newborn and child health week on Wednesday where all innovations to safeguard mothers and their children would be simultaneously implemented.
According to him, the services would be available in all the public health facilities across the state for the people to access.
“Several innovations are in place for save mothers and children and these are earnestly being implemented by this administration for the betterment of our people.
“We have been working with the local healthcare authorities to ensure that healthcare deliveries are made totally safe for our mothers and children with the interventions at all the 260-type 2 healthcare centres,” he said.
He added that as a government, the state must lead this process with policies and funding, saying that health professionals must commit to continuous learning and compassionate care.
The commissioner assured that government was committed to ensure adequate power supply in rural health facilities through the provision of solar devices.
He stressed the importance for the use of mobile phones to remind pregnant mothers of their antenatal appointments and for tracking defaulters.
He noted that across the world, women encounter risks during pregnancy, labour and childbirth which at times result to loss of lives during childbirth.
Obi said that safe motherhood day is not just a celebration, but a clarion call for action.
“It is a day of reflection, recommitment and renewed effort towards safeguarding the lives of our mothers and newborns.
“The annual global celebration holds on April 1, but in Enugu State we are celebrating it today to match with the health programmes of the state,” he said.
He listed major causes of maternal deaths to include haemorrhage, severe anaemia, sepsis, preeclampsia and eclampsia, prolonged/obstructed labour and ruptured uterus, malaria in pregnancy, cord prolapse and unsafe abortions.
Obi, however, urged pregnant women to attend antenatal care services in the nearest public health facility and never refuse referral to the next level of care in their own good.
Also speaking, the Safe Motherhood Coordinator, Enugu State Ministry of Health, Mrs Augustina Ugwuanyi, said that the event was to educate pregnant women on the need for adequate nutrition and environmental cleanliness.
She also urged them to avoid stagnate waters around their home as such breed mosquitos, adding that they should always sleep inside mosquito bed nets among others.
