Some pregnant women in the Bakassi local government area of Cross River State, southern Nigeria, have received mother and child care kits, presented by the first lady of the state, Mrs. Eyoanwan Otu.
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The wife of the Cross River State governor, Mrs. Eyoanwan Otu, who was represented by the Chairman, Ben Akak Foundation, Mr. Ben Akak himself, flagged off the distribution of the packs referred to as “Mmaadiaha Kit” during an event held at the Nsidung health centre, Bakassi local government area.
According to her, the objective was to provide essential supplies to pregnant rural women and promote safe motherhood practices within the communities.
She described the gesture as “a reflection of the state government’s resolve to prioritize maternal and child healthcare, reduce maternal mortality and enhance the well-being of mothers and their newborns.”
She said: “Mmaadiaha kit is a collection of maternal and newborn essential items aimed to empower our women to navigate the delivery and early stages of motherhood with confidence and peace of mind.
“This initiative holds a special place in my husband’s heart as it represents Governor Bassey Otu’s commitment to the ‘People First’ agenda,” she said and emphasized the need for accessible healthcare services, especially in rural areas.
Continuing, the wife of the governor said, “data has it that more than 50 thousand women die during childbirth in Nigeria annually. As such, there is urgent need for intervention that would protect the lives of mothers and their babies.
“Through this program, we will provide essential items and resources to pregnant women, enabling them to have safe delivery and access to better care. Each kit contains new born diapers, maternity pad, antiseptic solution, baby wear, olive oil, ankara wrapper for the mothers and more,” Otu stated.
The event was attended by community leaders, government functionaries as well as pregnant and nursing mothers from the villages within Bakassi local government area.
She added: “the distribution will continue across various local government areas in Cross River State so that we can reach a wider population of expectant mothers and contribute to the state’s efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, which relates to maternal and child health.”
