Emily Richard at nine months pregnant
A meeting by a government body on population and development convinced the Migori County assembly to propose a Sh320million of supplimentray budget to be set aside for health issues.
The allocation will help tackle reproductive and child health issues after a forum sponsored by the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) at Grabo County Dream Hotel.
Migori has been identified to be among 15 counties with high maternal and child mortality rates in the country.
Speaking during the forum, immediate former speaker Gordon Ogollah expressed the County Government’s commitment to reducing the number of mothers and new born dying during and after birth.
He said the 673 deaths registered annually among mothers in Migori during and after birth was worrying and assured that the county would strive to increase resources towards saving lives of mothers and their young ones.
He said the amount should improve immunization, early pregnancies, female genital mutilation (FGM) reduction and adolescent and Gender based violence.
“Other major causes of deaths are highly linked to lack of access, unavailability of services, shortage of human medical resources, negative cultural and religious practices among others,” he told the one day seminar.
NCPD South Nyanza region coordinator Maurice Oduor said council in partnership donors had allocated over Sh4.5billion to address reproductive issues mainly in 15 counties through a progamme dubbed Reproductive, Mortality, New born, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH).
The program will be first be launched in six counties with high indices of mother and child mortality, and they include Migori, Marsabit, Wajir, Lamu, Isiolo and Mandera.
“We need the support of the political and religious leaders, the youth and the media through sustained civic education for the success of the program,” he said.
