Nig is the highest contributor to maternal and infant mortality- WOTCLEF

By Henry Agbu, Jalingo

The Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) has lamented that Nigeria is the highest contributor to maternal and infant mortality.

The Coordinator if the Organization, Sarah David Ibi made the lamentation at a two-day orientation workshop organized by WOTCLEF for traditional birth attendants and health care workers in Karim Lamido LGA of Taraba state.

She noted that, a lots of children die yearly on what can be prevented.

The workshop was on referral strategies in mitigating maternal and infant mortality.

Sarah David Ibi said, it was aimed at buliding a bridge of partnership between the formal health sector and non formal sector that are critical in mitigating the maternal infant mortality rate in the state.

She explained that so far within the years of intervention of programme, it has recorded success in local government areas such as Kurmi, Donga, Gashaka and Ibi, expressing hope that Karim will not be an exception.

She lamented that Nigeria is the highest contributor to maternal and infant mortality, adding that a lots of children and women die yearly on what can be prevented.

Sarah David Ibi however, thanked TY Danjuma foundation for funding the programme of WOTCLEF.

In his remark, Chairman Caretaker Committee of Karim lamido local Council ,Augustine Joshua urged the traditional birth attendants to pay attention to the training and make referral when necessary bearing in mind that they are not health workers.

He thanked WOTCLEF and TY Danjuma foundation for choosing Karim lamido for the workshop, saying it would go a long way in reducing mortality rate in the area, considering its’ terrain.

According to the representative of TY Danjuma foundation, Markus Elkanah WOTCLEF has performed well in the local government where the programme has taken place.

He charged the traditional birth attendants to only act according to their role and that they were not health workers and should not act as one.

The programme featured presentation of delivery kits to traditional birth attendants which were selected from eleven wards that made up the local government.