Rivers’ll Reduce Maternal Mortality Rate – Parker

The Rivers State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to reduce maternal and children under the age of five mortality rate to the barest minimum.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, made the statement at the closing ceremony of the life saving skills training programme for nurses and midwives drawn from Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Benue, and Cross River States.

He said the programme emanated from the quest to reduce the high maternal and under 5 mortality rates in developing countries of which Nigeria is one, stating that the mortality rate in Nigeria is between 800 – 1000 per 100,000 births.

The health boss said the conditions responsible for these deaths are believed to be pregnancy related such as; pregnancy induced hypertension, Hemorrhage, obstructed labour, retained placenta, malaria and anaemia.

The training, which covered theory and practicals, according to Dr. Parker is aimed at equipping nurses and midwives working at the grassroots with more skills to face these situations in order to meet the 4th and 5th Millenium Development Goals mandate which aims at reducing maternal and under 5 mortality rate by 50 and 70 per cent respectively by the 2015.

He commended the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for collaborating with the Ministry of Health in organising this programme.

The programme which lasted for 3 weeks had 30 participants in attendance.