The Lagos State Primary Health Care Board and its partners (UNFPA and Project Aisha) have inaugurated a state sub-committee for Community-based Maternal Perinatal and Child Death Surveillance and Response (C-MPCDSR).
The inauguration of the Committee took place on Friday during a Stakeholders engagement held at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry Conference Centre, Nurudeen Olowopopo in Ikeja.
Speaking at the event, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Mrs. Olukemi Ogunyemi noted that it has become imperative to involve members of the community, particularly at the grassroots level, in reducing the rate of maternal and child mortality in the State.
The Special Adviser added that the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s Government is keenly interested in the well-being of all Lagosians, especially pregnant women and children.
She charged the sub-committee members to go all out in the discharge of their duties and ensure that the trust reposed in them by the State Government for the assignment was justified.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Ibrahim Akinwunmi Mustafa earlier in his welcome address, identified the importance of sensitising the stakeholders on modalities for the roll-out of Community-based Maternal Perinatal and Child Death Surveillance and Response in Lagos.
He added that concerned persons must understand their roles in the pilot of the programme which is billed to take off in Ifako-Ijaiye LCDA.
Dr. Mustafa drew the attention of the stakeholders to the fact that the maternal and child mortality rates in the Country are still high, hence, the need for all stakeholders to understand their roles and carry out routine monitoring, fact-finding missions, and make contributions that would help the government in making informed decisions.
While educating the participants at the event, the State Emergency Maternal and Child Health Intervention Centre (SEMCHIC) Programme Manager from the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Veronica Iwayemi, highlighted the importance of community ownership and participation, and the onus on community-based healthcare workers both private and public; community, religious and traditional leaders; as well as other stakeholders in tackling the reduction of maternal and child mortality in Lagos State.
She explained that the C-MPCDSR programme is a model that ensures maternal, perinatal and child deaths are identified, documented and audited regardless of the place of death, these include deaths that occurred at home and/or in transit to a health facility.
She maintained that the implementation of this programme would help the State in getting accurate data on maternal, perinatal and child deaths occurring in the community; which would, in turn, help the government in identifying and addressing the probable causes (medical or non-medical), modifiable (preventive) factors and proffer long-lasting solutions to reducing the incidences of maternal and child deaths.
The Chairman of the State Steering Committee on MPDSR, Dr. Donald Imosemi emphasised that the programme is not aimed at casting blame on individuals but is strictly meant to find out the root cause of maternal, perinatal and child mortality and make policies that would improve the situation.
Members of the inaugurated sub-committee comprise senior government officials, religious leaders, youth leaders, market women and community leaders, development partners, healthcare associations and healthcare workers both at the State and Local Government levels.
