Expanding the number of health care centres
It was good to visit Garki primary health care clinic in Abuja with Baroness Kinnock our new Minister for Africa. A queue of mothers and their babies, all less than a year old, were waiting for routine vaccinations for polio, hepatitis, yellow fever and measles.
Nigeria has some sad statistics. 1 in 5 children die before five years old. The country has 2% of the world's population but 10% of maternal mortality. So making a determined push to change all that is important. Expanding the number of health care centres, with mid-wives, is part of the solution.
Taking a really strategic approach and putting a lot more Federal and State money into primary health services and systems is critical. That would show political will. Hopefully a new Health Bill will be signed soon.
Posted at 18:10 10 November 2009 by Bob Dewar | Comments[0]

