Christopher Isiguzo
18 August 2008
Abakaliki — The United Nations Population Fund, (UNFPA) has stated that it is determined to assist Nigeria in realising the Millennium Development Goals, especially in the area of reducing incidences of maternal and child mortality, insisting that there was no justification for women to lose their lives during child birth.
The international body also pledged to assist in tackling the increasing cases of Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) in Ebonyi and other states in the country, stressing that all complications that usually arise in the course of child birth must be faced squarely.
Speaking while donating medical equipments and drugs worth N3.4 million to the VVF Repair centre, build by the Initiator of the Mother and Child Care Initiative (MCCI), and the First Lady of Ebonyi state, Mrs. Josephine Elechi, at the Ebonyi state University Teaching Hospital, the UNFPA Country Representative,
Mr. Sidiki Coulibaly, stated that the body would stop at nothing in improving the lives of pregnant women and neo-nets or new born. Coulibaly noted that the maternal mortality ratio for Nigeria in general and Ebonyi state in particular remains unacceptably high. He added that Nigeria contributing about two percent of the global population bears 10 percent of the global burden of maternal mortality and 40 per cent of the global burden of obstetric fistula.
He stated that the maternal health status is an indication of overall quality of life and impacts directly on socio-economic well being. active collaboration of all stakeholders. These issues are those of poverty, girl child education, gender discrimination and other infrastructural challenges which confront the delivery of quality maternal heath care delivery system" he stated. He stated that UNFPA is committed to a zero tolerance to maternal mortality and would continue to provide support to government at all levels in the implementation of practical broad based multi-sectoral interventions, within its mandate area.
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