By Nofisat Adeoye
The Governor Of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has urged couples especially young couples to embrace family planning.
Aregbesola said the country is over populated and cannot provide for all its citizens.
“We urge our couples to do family planning, we are producing more than what the country can provide for. Two or three children is okay, we should cut our coat according to the clothes available.”
This is even as the State Government distributed 12,500 delivery Kit to expectant mothers.
The provision of the delivery kit is a government project focused at improving maternal and child
health.
Speaking at the flag off of the programme tagged “Saving One million lives programme for results and maternal, new born and child health week” Governor Aregbesola said the gesture is to support pregnant women and ensure they have the things needed for a safe delivery.
Each of the delivery kit tagged “Mama kit” contains one chord Clamp, one Mucur Extractor, seven Sterile Gloves, one Baby Soap, one Baby Towel, one Set of Baby Cloth, one Purit, one Canula and one Sanitary Pad.
The programme is also supported by Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in collaboration with Save One Million Lives Programme for Results (SOML PforR) of the Federal Government.
It is aimed at increasing the quality of care index at health centre level across the state and help to provide a clean and safe delivery for women who give birth in hospitals and clinics.
In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu said that the objective of the programme is to collaborate the Federal Government’s (SOML PforR) which is to increase the utilisation and quality of high impact reproductive, child health and nutrition interventions’ with overall goal of reducing under-5 mortality rate and maternal mortality rate.
Isamotu who revealed that the State Government had also launched an HIV test kit, said the mama kit is to ensure safe delivery and serve as a constitutional means of preventing needless deaths.
He explained that since the inception of the programme in the State of Osun, all hands have been on deck towards its successful implementation, adding that health workers have been sensitised and trained.
The Commissioner also noted that the government will give more attention to rural areas especially those people who could not afford the delivery kit as well as discourage delivery at home, sensitise and incorporate traditional birth attendants so as to reduce under 5 mortality rate and maternal mortality rate and save mothers and children from needless death.
