Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has assured residents that his administration’s health initiatives will continue beyond his term in office.
At the graduation of the third batch of medical personnel trained in essential newborn care, the governor emphasised that these projects are designed to remain impactful long-term, affirming, “The champion of this cause will remain steadfast in supporting this initiative.”
The ceremony marked the completion of the First Lady of Edo State, Betsy Obaseki’s “Make No Pikin Die” initiative, which has trained 132 medical personnel in the Essential Newborn Care Course (ENCC) to tackle neonatal mortality in Edo State.
Betsy called on hospital administrators across Edo to support trained medical personnel in cascading these life-saving techniques throughout healthcare facilities in the region.
This year’s 24 graduates joined 108 other trainers from previous sessions held in 2022 and earlier in 2024, bringing the total number of trainers trained under the ENCC initiative to 132.
The training, developed by the Federal government and implemented by the First Lady, covers critical interventions such as “Helping Babies Breathe,” “Essential Care for Small Babies,” and “Essential Care for Every Baby.” These modules aim to reduce neonatal mortality by equipping healthcare providers to ensure newborns receive vital care within their first minutes of life.
Professor Kenechukwu Iloh, the Course Director, highlighted the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s high neonatal mortality rate. “We lose 41 babies per 1,000 births in this country, while some nations boast rates as low as 3 or 4 per 1000,” he stated. He praised Edo State’s achievements, noting, “Edo has one of the best records in Nigeria, with seven deaths per 1,000 births.”
The First Lady expressed her commitment to meeting neonatal survival goals: “Our target is to reduce neonatal deaths to fewer than four per 1,000 births. We take this seriously and continue to encourage all of you to cascade these training sessions. We also have a stringent system for monitoring and evaluating outcomes to ensure we reach our goal.”
In his address, Governor Obaseki highlighted that these achievements go beyond governmental efforts, crediting the First Lady for her dedication. “The government and committed individuals have championed this initiative.
I am confident it will be sustained even after we leave office,” he added.
Graduates expressed enthusiasm about their mission to improve newborn survival rates. Dr Peace, a newly trained healthcare provider, shared, “This is life-changing. In Edo State, no child should have to die needlessly.”
This latest batch of trainers will further strengthen Edo’s healthcare system as the state works toward achieving the global target of reducing neonatal mortality to single digits by 2030.
