The Better Health for Rural Women and Internally Displaced Persons Foundation, BERWO, of Ebonyi Governor’s wife, Mrs Mary-Maudlune Nwifuru offer free scrotal hernia surgery to no fewer than 300 male adults and children in the state.
Prof Nkechi Emma-Echiegu, team lead of the Foundation, disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Abakaliki on Wednesday on the two years of Gov Francis Nwifuru in office.
Emma-Echiegu said that the beneficiaries of the surgeries were selected from the 13 local government areas of the state.
The BERWO Team Lead also said the foundation had in 2024 enrolled 4, 078 pregnant women into the state health insurance and 600 infants for free immunization.
She said that the office of Mrs Nwifuru had made significant achievements within the two years, ranging from youths and women empowerment.
“So far, 600 infants from 0 to 5 years were captured for immunization across the 13 local government areas of the state. The office of the Wife of the Governor has also treated 300 sickle cell champions within the period.
“We have empowered the youths on various skills, and they were given start-up kits. Women groups from various local governments have been empowered in agriculture and supported with farm inputs.
“This is to improve the women’s livelihood in the state. We have done a lot on the issue of Gender-Bassed violence (GBV).
“In BERWO, we have thematic areas which include: maternal mortality, youth and women empowerment, girl child education, internal displaced person and GBV,” she stated.
The team lead added that the state government under the BERWO foundation is targeting to distribute 17,000 postnatal care items to pregnant and nursing mothers in rural communities under the Baby Shower Initiative of Mrs Nwifuru.
Emma-Echiegu noted that the distribution of the items was in a bid to increase patronage of Primary Health Centres by pregnant women.
“The distribution was in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health and office of the Wife of Governor,” she said.
NAN / Shakirat Sadiq