Infant Mortality Rate Reducing In C’River –Linda Ayade

OYETUNDE REBECCA ADEKEMI

The wife of the Cross River State governor, Dr Linda Ayade has explained why cases of infant mortality are reducing in the state.

Linda made this known on Thursday in Calabar during the official flag-off of Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week. 

Linda was represented by the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong.

She said, “infant mortality rate is going down in Cross River State because of the proactive measures we have been putting in place to ensure children between ages 0 to 5 years are immunised against vaccine-preventable diseases.

“All these high-impact interventions are helping us achieve that and visits to health facilities have decreased thereby reducing patronage of health facilities.

“For so many years now, there has been no outbreak of diseases in the state  and exercises like this have helped the state tremendously over the years.”

She said the target for the exercise, which is the first for this year, is to ensure that every child in the state within 0 to 5 years and pregnant women benefit from the exercise.

She also said the exercise would enable health workers to deworm children and give them Vitamin A supplementations to build their immunity. 

During the exercise which would take place simultaneously in all the 18 local government areas and communities in the state, at least 900,000 women and infants are expected to benefit from the exercise.