By Ebi Nieketien
Delta State Government has reiterated its commitment to reducing maternal mortality and promoting safer birth practices among pregnant women in the state.
This was made known, yesterday by the Reproductive Health Coordinator, Ministry of Health, Dr. Francis Weyinmi, during a road walk in Asaba to mark the 2025 Safe Motherhood Day.
Themed “Innovating for Safer Birth: A Collective Responsibility to Crash Maternal Mortality”, the event was organized in collaboration with “Moms and Infant Care Network” and “Letter to a Lady Organization”.
Speaking to journalists, Weyinmi said the road walk was aimed at raising awareness on maternal health and the importance of adopting safe motherhood practices.
“This road walk is basically to raise awareness about what safe motherhood is and to tell the women in Delta State that we care for them and that every woman deserves the right to safe delivery”, she said.
She emphasized the importance of ante-natal care in either public and private health facilities, noting that maternal health involves care before, during and after pregnancy for both mother and child.
Highlighting the progress made so far, Weyinmi stated that “212 out of 100,000 women die during childbirth. This statistics is a lot better than it was five years ago because we are seeing more women come to our facilities. We have over 100,000 women now accessing these services, but we want to ensure that all women do so.”
She urged women to shun the practice of home delivery without skilled birth attendants, warning that such decisions could lead to severe complications or death during childbirth.
She emphasized that the ministry of health will continue to provide access to quality maternal care and promoting initiatives that protect the lives of mothers and newborns across the state.
Representatives of the supporting organizations, Cinderella Ziko of “Moms and Infant Care Network” and Ambassador Scholarstica Ighorodje of “Letter to a Lady Organization”, also advised women on the critical importance of antenatal care in preventing labour complications and ensuring healthy delivery outcomes.
