The November 2012 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week has been flagged off in Ondo State by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
The state governor though absent was represented by the first lady of Ondo state; Mrs. Olukemi Mimiko at the occasion in Akure the state capital.
She said the programme is meant to sensitize women so that they stay healthy by adhering to all the health practices, including routine immunisation of their babies.
Mrs .Mimiko was accompanied by the Health Commissioner; Dayo Adeyanju and present at the mother-child friendly programme were government officials, health workers, and representatives of partner agencies at the occasion.Pregnant women and nursing mothers were also present in their numbers at the premises of The Basic Health Centre, Ondo Road Akure ; the venue of the programme.
Speaking to Newsmen at the flag off, Mrs Mimiko said the maternal new-born, and child health week is organised to ensure safe delivery, routine child immunization, adequate breastfeeding so that the children could grow old and healthy.
She expressed gratitude to Governor Mimiko, officials of the ministry of Health and the Hospitals Management Board for giving women quality attention.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju lamented that some children under age five still die of preventable diseases.
He noted that this calls for proper sensitization of the mothers and other caregivers on key health practices such as: immunisation, sleeping under insecticide treated mosquito nets, hand washing, deworming, breastfeeding and birth registration among others.
Insecticide treated mosquito nets were distributed freely to all the pregnant women and nursing mothers at the end of the programme.
Health officials on ground also used the opportunity to immunise the babies presented by their mothers.
