Lagos State Government, at the weekend said it has declared zero tolerance to maternal, neonatal and child deaths, saying women and children’s healthy living remains top priority of the state government.
Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, stated this while speaking on the second round of this year’s Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCH) in the state.
He said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has committed not less than 15 percent of the annual budget to the Ministry of Health to ensure Lagos residents enjoy the best of healthcare when they visit public health facilities.
Abayomi said the governor is committed to ensure the health ministry gets not less than 15 percent of the budget is reflected in what has been budgeted for health next year, though awaiting House of Assembly approval.
The commissioner, who revealed that Lagos currently has a maternal mortality rate of 512 to one 100,000 live births, said the figure is very high though better when compared with the national figure.
He said the current administration is implementing some strategies, including the elimination of environmental factors, sensitisation about adequate nutrition during pregnancy, immunisation and other complementary services to reduce cases of maternal and child deaths.
The commissioner, who said the government is building the capability of health workers for effective and efficient service delivery, said efforts are also being intensified to reduce neonatal and child mortality.