Ogun restates commitment to maternal, child healthcare

Ogun State Government has reiterated its commitment to sustained investment in reproductive health policies and programmes, towards improving maternal and child health.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, disclosed this while playing host to an advocacy working group in the state, “Family Health Initiative Ogun ( FAHIO )”, led by its Chairperson, Mrs. Oluwakemi Balogun, in Abeokuta the state capital.

Coker stated the present administration in the state places a premium on activities that would avert the incidence of maternal mortality and child death, adding that the attention of the government is on Family Planning and Adolescent health services crucial for the well-being and wellness of families, community and the state at large.

Coker explained that the state had created a budget line for family planning, with an adequate supply of commodities and consumables to health facilities across the state, and subsidized the self-injected contraceptive, DMPA-SC.

The Ogun State official noted that her ministry and the state Primary Healthcare Board would work out modalities in accessing the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and Ogun State Health Insurance Scheme, to sustain the efforts.

Coker noted that the state government would not relent in its strides at promoting family planning or child spacing activities because it serves as economic empowerment for women of childbearing age, with a lot of derivable benefits.

Coker commended the advocacy drive of the group, towards strengthening the reproductive health system in the state.

Speaking earlier, Chairperson of Family Health Initiative Ogun [FAHIO] Mrs. Balogun commended the state government’s efforts in prioritizing the health sector, adding that support for family planning programmes is cost-effective, with a positive impact on other sectors of the economy.