Ondo Distributes 1,000 Pregnancy Kits to Support Safer Childbirth
The Ondo State Government has started the distribution of 1,000 pregnancy kits to pregnant women to encourage safe delivery and ensure the health of mothers and babies.
The first phase of Ibi Irorun Safe Delivery Initiative was inaugurated by the Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Tuesday at the Basic Healthcare Centre, Arakale, Akure.
The kits include 13 items that are essential for the delivery in the hospital, as approved by the state government. The support is meant to ease the financial burden of childbirth and enable expectant mothers to get the necessary items when they visit health facilities for delivery, officials said.
According to Aiyedatiwa, the project is part of the government’s drive to provide quality and affordable healthcare services to the people of the state.
Access to safe maternal care can also have a positive impact on newborn outcomes from a child protection perspective. Access to health facilities and essential delivery supplies at the right time can help prevent complications during childbirth and contribute to children’s healthy start to life.
The first phase, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Bosede Osamaye, said, would provide 1,000 women with the delivery kits, which would be an intervention for the expectant mothers and their families.
The beneficiaries will be handed the kits to their assigned health facilities at the time of delivery, the Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Francis Akanbiemu said.
The governor also revealed that 60 primary healthcare centres were being revitalised and over 102 centres had been completed and equipped.
Over 300,000 residents were also registered for the state health insurance program, the government said.
To support child-focused health care, the importance of strengthening maternal services is highlighted, as protecting children starts before they are born, including making sure that mothers have access to safe and affordable healthcare during their pregnancy and delivery.
