From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
The Cross River State government has inaugurated Community Advisory Boards under the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) project.
The community boards are made up of traditional rulers from four selected local government areas: Calabar South, Calabar Municipality, Bakassi, and Akpabuyo.
The traditional leaders are expected to partner with the CHAMPS project and help identify instances of under-five mortality.
Speaking during the inauguration, the Cross River State Health Commissioner, Dr. Henry Ayuk, said the government is ready to partner with the CHAMPS project to identify causes of under-five mortality in the state.
The commissioner, who spoke through Dr. Godswill Efa, said the partnership with the traditional rulers will form a surveillance system to help identify instances of under-five mortality.
Principal investigator of the CHAMPS Project, Professor Martin Meremikwu, said the project aims to work with communities to identify causes of under-five deaths and prevent them from occurring.
He also disclosed that seven ultrasound machines have been donated to health centres within the state to help improve maternal health.