The Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, has flagged off the 2026 First Round of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW), reaffirming the commitment of the Biodun Oyebanji administration to reduce maternal and child mortality through accessible and quality healthcare services.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at the Adunni Olayinka Centre in Ado-Ekiti, Dr. Oyebanji, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Habibat Adubiaro, described the programme as a strategic intervention aimed at improving the health outcomes of pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under five across the state.
She said the bi-annual exercise demonstrates Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji’s unwavering commitment to strengthening the health sector and safeguarding the lives of mothers and children through integrated healthcare services.
Citing findings from the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, the First Lady noted that under-five mortality remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, with the country recording 100 deaths per 1,000 live births.
According to her, the South-West region recorded 62 deaths per 1,000 live births, while Ekiti State recorded 44 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Describing the figures as unacceptable, she stressed that the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week is one of the government’s strategic responses to reducing preventable maternal and child deaths in the state.
Dr. Oyebanji urged mothers, caregivers and pregnant women to take advantage of the free healthcare services available during the week-long programme by visiting designated health facilities and outreach centres across the state.
She disclosed that children aged between 6 and 59 months would receive Vitamin A supplementation and deworming tablets, while pregnant women would benefit from free HIV screening services, Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP), folate and other essential healthcare commodities.
The First Lady also commended development partners, health workers and members of the State Committee on Food and Nutrition for their sustained support towards improving maternal and child health outcomes in Ekiti.
She noted that the health sector remains a top priority of the present administration under its Human Capital Development agenda, one of the six pillars of Governor Oyebanji’s development blueprint.
According to her, the exercise, which commenced on June 22 and will end on June 26, is being implemented across government health facilities and designated centres in the state’s 16 Local Government Areas and 22 Local Council Development Areas.
She called on community leaders, stakeholders and residents to mobilise members of their communities to participate fully in the exercise before officially declaring the 2026 First Round of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week open.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Gbenga Igotun, advised nursing mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months of life, stressing that proper breastfeeding is essential for healthy growth and development.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Peju Babafemi, urged mothers to prioritise the welfare of their children and commended them for their continued support for the Biodun Oyebanji administration.
The State’s Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi who also spoke at the event emphasized the need for nursing mothers to breastfeed their babies, noting that this would help curb child mortality.
In her goodwill message, the representative of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), MARS Linda Ajeigbe commended Governor Oyebanji for the deliberate policies and programmes which are aimed at improving maternal and child health in the State.
Ajeigbe, who said she was not surprised that Oyebanji was overwhelmingly reelected by Ekiti people, assured that UNICEF would continue to provide matching funds for maternal and children initiatives in the State.
The event was attended by the Head of Service, commissioners for Health, Women Affairs, Agriculture, and Budget and Economic Planning, as well as other top government officials and stakeholders in the health sector.