By Kemi Olatunde

As part of concerted efforts to improve access to quality healthcare and reduce maternal and newborn mortality in Ondo State, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has approved the rehabilitation of 102 Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities across the 18 local government areas of the state.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the five-day Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation and Innovative (MAMII) co-creation workshop in Akure, the governor, represented by his Special Adviser on Health, Prof. Simidele Odimayo, said the approval forms a core component of his administration’s comprehensive health sector reform.

According to him, the upgrades will not only focus on improving service delivery in maternal and child health but will also include the provision of staff accommodation to ensure a more conducive working and living environment for healthcare workers.

“In our unrelenting pursuit of better health services for our people, I have approved the rehabilitation of 102 Primary Health Care facilities across the state. These upgrades will focus on key service areas while ensuring proper accommodation for health personnel,” Aiyedatiwa said.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to advancing universal health coverage and improving health indices, especially in underserved communities. He also noted that the move aligns with broader investments in secondary healthcare, including plans to build 50- to 100-bed facilities in at least five general hospitals across the three senatorial districts.

The PHC rehabilitation initiative, according to the governor, complements other programmes such as the Abiyamo Scheme, which currently benefits over 54,682 indigent pregnant women and children under five, and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (Ilera Loro Scheme) that targets vulnerable groups.

The Director and Head of the Child Health Division, Department of Family Health, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Aminat Mohammed, stated that Nigeria’s healthcare system is challenged by high neonatal mortality rates, particularly among preterm and low-birth-weight infants.

She added that the country ranks third globally in the number of preterm births, with about 773,600 annual preterm births, of which an estimated 274,000 died in 2022.

According to her, preterm birth complications remain the most significant contributor to under-five deaths, responsible for one in three such deaths.

She explained that the programme is aimed at ensuring good population health to guarantee healthy living for both women and children in the country.

Dr. Mohammed described the workshop as a step toward activating the MAMII initiative in the state, noting that 33 states of the federation and 171 Local Government areas have been identified as high-burdened for maternal and newborn mortality in Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Niran Ikuomola, described the rehabilitation project as a significant milestone in the state’s health transformation agenda. He stressed that the revitalisation of PHCs is critical to ensuring access to life-saving interventions at the grassroots level.

Ikuomola disclosed that the MAMII initiative will initially be piloted in five local government areas—Ese Odo, Owo, Ifedore, Akure South, and Ondo West—but its impact will be felt across the entire state, especially through improved PHC services.

Also speaking, Dr. Isaac Aladeniyi, Director of Family Planning, underscored the importance of family planning, birth preparedness, and readiness for complications, which he said are essential components that upgraded PHC facilities must prioritize.

Stakeholders, including representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), and traditional rulers, lauded the government’s commitment, emphasizing that the strengthening of PHC infrastructure is pivotal to reducing preventable deaths among women and newborns.

Dr. Adebayo Ibrahim of the WHO described the rehabilitation of 102 PHCs as a forward-thinking intervention capable of transforming maternal and child health outcomes in the state.

With this approval, Governor Aiyedatiwa’s administration has taken a bold step toward building a resilient primary healthcare system that not only saves lives but ensures that no woman dies while giving life and that every child has a chance to thrive.

The Adapogun of Ipogun, Oba Raphael Ojo, called on traditional rulers to educate their communities, noting that immunisation has significantly improved the state’s health indices.