Maiduguri — Borno State government yesterday declared free maternal health services for pregnant women as part of efforts to reduce deaths as result of complications before and after deliveries.

Wife of the state governor, Hajiya Nana Shettima while launching the programme said reducing maternal and child mortality requires political, social and religious will to ensure that safe motherhood is achieved.

She called on stakeholders in the project to create awareness so that pregnant women and nursing mothers will patronize government hospitals and clinic to benefit from the free services.

Speaking on the free maternal services and distribution of life-saving drugs for pregnant women, commissioner of Health, Dr Salma Anas-Kolo said Borno plans to be in league of states that record low maternal mortality rate.

"The state government vision is to improve maternal health, make pregnancy and motherhood a thing of joy and ensure that all lives are equal and given equal opportunity for survival while achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reduction by 25 percent by 2015. Most of our women died from complication and that is why we are committed to ensure lives are saved," Kolo disclosed.

Kolo said the programme also include training health workers, medical doctors, nurses, mid-wives on safe delivery.

She lamented that 16 out of every 100 women died during child birth in the state and attributed the menace to bleeding, infections, hypertensive disorder (eclampsia), obstructed labour which are aggravated by poverty, socio-cultural beliefs and lack of access to maternal care/health care services.