TheCable

Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Kwara governor, says the state now has the second lowest maternal mortality ratio in Nigeria.

Abdulrazaq said this on Tuesday at the unveiling of the Aisha Buhari Mother and Child Hospital in Eiyenkorin, Asa LGA.

According to a statement by Rafiu Ajakaye, chief press secretary to the governor, Abdulrazaq said the massive investment in the health sector has yielded positive results evident in the reduced rate of maternal mortality in the state.

According to him, the 120-bed hospital is facilitated by the state government, and is a project of the federal government under the office of the senior special assistant to the president on sustainable development goals (SDGs).

“This gesture complements the efforts of our administration to reduce maternal mortality ratio, neonatal mortality rate, and under-5 mortality rate to the barest minimum,” he said.

“For instance, we have reduced maternal mortality ratio from 1,404.4 in 2019 per 100,000 deaths to 20.7 per 100,000 deaths by the end of 2020. This means Kwara moved from the second highest maternal mortality ratio in the country after Borno to the second lowest in the country after Ekiti.

“I commend my sister, the senior special assistant to the president on Sustainable Development Goals, her excellency, princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, for supporting the Kwara state government with various interventions in the past.

“These include the donation of face masks and ICU beds in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the donation of rural ambulances amongst other generous donations. We are very grateful, and look forward to more support.

“I implore the office of the SSA to the president on SDG to do a lot more for Kwara through the conditional grants scheme. While we are doing so much through the Kwara care programme to bring more of our people into the health insurance, we need more support to give universal health coverage to the people.”