From DAVID UKA, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Government has revealed that it is targeting a total of 557,000 children children for immunization, and 139,000 pregnant women and 613, 000 women of child bearing age for improved maternal health care.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezuruike, disclosed this in Ugbodo, headquarters of Ebonyi Local Government Area, during the flag-off 2016 of second round of maternal newborn child health week in the state.
He noted that de-worming and vitamin A tablets will be given to children between 0-59 months while 139,000 pregnant women will be given free HIV counseling.
According to him, the best way of managing HIV is prevention and the best way of attaining prevention is HIV counseling and testing.
“When somebody knows his or her status, the person can access care if it is positive and know that it is not the end of life. If the person is negative, the person becomes more careful”.
“Women of child bearing age and children of less than 5 years are supposed to present themselves to primary health care centres nearest to them and get all these interventions commodities free of charge”, he said.
Umezurike explained that the essence of the immunization was to reduce maternal mortality.
Flagging of the programme, Governor David Umahi who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, said the state government does not joke with the health of the people and called on women and children to participate in the exercise.