Abuja — All pregnant women will soon have unhindered access to maternal healthcare, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Iyabo has assured.

Senator Iyabo who spoke at the opening ceremony of a workshop for health correspondents in Abuja said the Health Bill now awaiting the consent of President Umaru Yar'adua will provide more funding exclusively for ante-natal care.

She explained, "In view of the fact that adequate maternal care begins at the level of anti-natal care, the National Assembly has made adequate provisions for primary health care in the recently passed Health Bill which, if all goes according to plan, will soon be signed into law by Mr. President. When this is done, it is expected that two percent of our annual project will be domiciled in primary health care, an exercise which will afford all pregnant women unhindered access to maternal care, even at the grassroots."

The Sensitization Workshop for Health Correspondents was organised jointly by Cradle Communications Ltd and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Director General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhi who was at the workshop said the country relies very much on the mass media to spread the message of the danger of counterfeit drugs.

"The mass media plays an important role in making the people vigilant about the seriousness of the problem. This can be effectively achieved by communicating verified information, having public interest at heart and by bringing professionalism to bear."

He said the role of the mass media becomes glaring when viewed that NAFDAC and other stakeholders could not do the necessary work alone.

He expressed gratitude to the Cradle Communications Ltd for joining hands with NAFDAC in the fight against the manufacture, distribution, and use of illicit drugs

Cradle Communications Ltd publishes Sheworld magazine. Managing Director of the company, Alhaji Aminu Yusuf who delivered a welcome address said that by sensitizing health correspondents on the implications of illicit drugs, the country should be able to checkmate the trend.