The Wife of the Gov, Mrs Mary-Maudline Nwifuru on Saturday has inaugurated a Baby Shower Initiative and Maternity to enhance antenatal and postnatal care in the state.
Nwifuru during an officially inauguration of the Initiative in Abakaliki, encouraged women to take the antenatal care appointments seriously.
The governor’s wife stated that the initiative is a health-focused programme aimed at supporting pregnant women and nursing mothers across the state.
She urged them to listen to health professionals, take their well-being seriously, adding that every mother and baby deserve a healthy start.
In her speech, Mrs Nwifuru stressed the importance of the initiative as a compassionate and strategic intervention of the Ministry of Health and her foundation Better Health for Rural Women Children and Internally Displaced Persons, (BERWO).
She said it focused on giving mothers access to maternal care, health education, and basic necessities.
“The Initiative is not just about gifts and celebration. It is our way of saying, “you are not alone, we see you, support you and we are here for you,” Nwifuru stated.
The Commissioner for Health, Moses Ekuma, added that the goal of the initiative is to encourage pregnant women to register for antenatal care at primary healthcare centers, general hospitals, and other health facilities across the state.
Ekuma further commended Mrs Nwifuru for her health interventions, revealing that over 4,000 pregnant women and 300 sickle cell warriors have already been enrolled in the state’s health insurance scheme.
The health expert noted that the initiative has significantly contributed to the reduction of maternal mortality in the state.
“The aim of this baby shower initiative is for pregnant women to come out, register for antenatal training, deliver their babies in health facilities, and ensure their children receive complete immunisation,” Ekuma said.
The Desk Officer of the Baby Shower Initiative, Ngozi Aloh, described the flag-off as a turning point in the ownership and sustainability of the programme.
“We are capturing 171 facilities across all Local Government Areas. We strongly believe that this initiative will extend to other states,” Aloh said.
Mrs Ifeoma Okwuchukwu and Lucy Mbam, Beneficiaries expressed gratitude to Mrs Nwifuru’s kind gesture and support to women in the state.
The event featured distribution of baby items to mothers and pregnant women.
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