The executive director and chief executive officer, National
Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado J. G. Muhammad,
has appealed to pregnant women in Enugu State to take advantage of the
Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT)
programme, which is an aspect of the Subsidy Reinvestment and
Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), to register and deliver their babies at
designated health centres in the state.
In an address read on his behalf by Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Nwosu, South-East zonal coordinator, (NPHCDA), during the inaugural meeting of the Enugu State CCT Steering Committee, Dr. Muhammad said the maternal and child health component of SURE-P, would contribute to the reduction of maternal and child morbidity and mortality in the country, as well as increase maternal access to health services.
The project director, SURE-P-MCH project, Dr. Ugo Okoli, explained that the CCT programme is focused on pregnant women and children under five years, adding that the programme is aimed at increasing the use of facilities and services provided under the SURE-P MCH project.
She said that the Enugu state CCT steering committee headed by Dr. Ossai Okechukwu, director of public health, Enugu state ministry of health, would oversee the disbursement of N5.000 (five thousand Naira) to each pregnant woman who register and deliver her baby in a health facility designated under the programme by the state government.
According to her, the cash payment would serve as an incentive to pregnant women to deliver their babies in health centres as against some of them who either deliver at home or unorthodox places.
She explained that the programme would start at designated health centres in Aninri local government area of the state, and would later be expanded to other local government areas in the state depending on its acceptance by the target audience.
Also speaking at the event Enugu state Commissioner of Health, Dr. George Eze, who was represented by a permanent secretary in the ministry, Dr. Moses Otiji, urged the NPHCDA, to fast-track the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the agency and the state government to ensure the success of the scheme in the state.
The SURE-P MCH is a direct intervention by the federal government, using the savings from the fuel subsidy removal, to reduce the incidence of maternal and neonatal mortality in the country.
In an address read on his behalf by Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Nwosu, South-East zonal coordinator, (NPHCDA), during the inaugural meeting of the Enugu State CCT Steering Committee, Dr. Muhammad said the maternal and child health component of SURE-P, would contribute to the reduction of maternal and child morbidity and mortality in the country, as well as increase maternal access to health services.
The project director, SURE-P-MCH project, Dr. Ugo Okoli, explained that the CCT programme is focused on pregnant women and children under five years, adding that the programme is aimed at increasing the use of facilities and services provided under the SURE-P MCH project.
She said that the Enugu state CCT steering committee headed by Dr. Ossai Okechukwu, director of public health, Enugu state ministry of health, would oversee the disbursement of N5.000 (five thousand Naira) to each pregnant woman who register and deliver her baby in a health facility designated under the programme by the state government.
According to her, the cash payment would serve as an incentive to pregnant women to deliver their babies in health centres as against some of them who either deliver at home or unorthodox places.
She explained that the programme would start at designated health centres in Aninri local government area of the state, and would later be expanded to other local government areas in the state depending on its acceptance by the target audience.
Also speaking at the event Enugu state Commissioner of Health, Dr. George Eze, who was represented by a permanent secretary in the ministry, Dr. Moses Otiji, urged the NPHCDA, to fast-track the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the agency and the state government to ensure the success of the scheme in the state.
The SURE-P MCH is a direct intervention by the federal government, using the savings from the fuel subsidy removal, to reduce the incidence of maternal and neonatal mortality in the country.
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