The Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi, has expressed the readiness of his administration to key into the programmes of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to enhance the well-being of women and children in the state.

Governor Umahi disclosed this when the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Nigeria, Mrs. Ratidzai Ndhlovu paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Abakaliki on Monday.

He appreciated the enormous benefits the state had derived from the programmes of the agency and reiterated the determination of his administration to tackle issues militating against maternal and child health care delivery.

The governor, who stressed his resolve “to ensure that no woman dies during child birth under his watch”, regretted the volume of fake and adulterated drugs in circulation across the country and appealed to the agency to continue to supply genuine drugs to the state.

He observed the importance of power to primary healthcare delivery and called on the agency to include the provision of electricity in its core mandate to assist in the preservation of drugs and the conduct of laboratory tests required for the treatment of diseases.

Governor Umahi hinted that it was the importance, ‘his administration attaches to primary healthcare that prompted the appointment of three special assistants on Primary Health for each of three senatorial districts in the state. Thus, according to him is “to have closer touch with the people to ascertain their health and social needs and report back to government for prompt attention”.

Earlier in her remark, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund, Ndhlovu had said she was in the state to renew the agency’s commitment to strengthen its partnership with the state on top priority areas of maternal health, family planning, institutional delivery, fistula care, etc.

She emphasised “that the agency’s vision was to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every child birth safe and a world where the potential of every young person is fulfilled”. The UNFPA chief added that in the agency’s present programme circle which started in 2014, “women issues are our core mandate, girls issue are our core mandate, and young boys issue are our core mandate to ensure women don’t die while giving birth.”

Mrs. Ndhlovu called on the state government to key into the UNFPA Government Cash Counterpart contribution towards the programme development aimed at uplifting the state.

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