UNICEF hands over $300m lifesaving health supplies to Borno govt

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has handed over lifesaving health supplies worth over $300 million to the Borno state government.

Speaking at a brief handover ceremony in Maiduguri on Thursday, the UNICEF Chief of Borno Field Office, Phuong T. Nguyen, said a quarter of health facilities in north-east Nigeria have been destroyed, while a shortage of health workers and essential equipment and drugs has impeded the delivery of quality health services to pregnant women, newborns, and children.

She noted that the intervention was to ensure that pregnant women, newborns, and vulnerable children are getting better healthcare services to fulfil their potential.

According to her, women and children have paid the highest cost of armed conflict in north-east Nigeria, especially in 2020. Each day of conflict claimed the lives of 170 children from direct and indirect causes in northeast Nigeria, which reduced access to health services, based on the United Nations (UNDP) agency report.

She explained that UNICEF will soon hand over a newly built primary health care centre and supplies worth over $15,000 already installed at the Hajj Camp Clinic to strengthen healthcare delivery for children and adults affected by conflict in Borno State.

“Protracted conflict has continued to contribute to disease outbreaks and maternal and child mortality rates, including child malnutrition in north-east Nigeria.

“With this intervention, pregnant women, newborns, and children affected by conflict in Borno State will be able to access qualitative healthcare services in their communities through the provision of essential health supplies in primary healthcare facilities located in their communities.

“This support is in addition to other essential health and nutrition services UNICEF and donors are providing to conflict-affected women and children through the government and other partners.”.

She further explained that UNICEF will continue to work with governments across the northeast to ensure the survival and wellbeing of women and children.

Receiving the medical supplies, the Borno state commissioner of health, Prof. Malam Gana, said the equipment would go a long way in reducing neonatal morbidity and mortality in Borno.

He explained that Borno State is one of the states in Nigeria with the highest indices of maternal mortality and neonatal mortality, but UNICEF is committed to seeing that every child and pregnant woman gets the best health care delivery in the state.

“I will like to recall the generosity of UNICEF in terms of assisting the Borno state government, especially in this 13th year of insurgency, which has resulted in the loss of 45 per cent of our health care facilities; some of them were partially damaged and some of them were neglected by the insurgents, and it has led to the loss of a lot of personnel; some were kidnapped, some were killed, and some have suffered from distress disorder, which has left Borno state in a callous and critical situation.

“But with the assistance of UNICEF, we have gotten some succour,” said Gana.