Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Dr. Precious Gbeneol

By Paul Obiin

Less than two years to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Federal Government yesterday said about $100 million had been earmarked to accelerate the process of attaining health related MDGs.

This was made known by the Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Dr. Precious Gbeneol, who briefed journalists that government intends to take proactive measures in ensuring that the 2015 dateline is achievable.
Gbeneol who was represented by an official from the MDG office, Dr. Chris Otabor said: “in 1990s, the maternal mortality was around 1500, and now it’s around 545 that is a giant leap, before 2015, we are looking at 200.”

“The basic things that kill women during child birth are preventable, though, there are challenges, Nigeria is on track, we are definitely making progress.”

Otabor explained that the funds will assist in deploying human resources and community health facilities across the six geo-political zones in the country.

Also speaking, guest lecturer at the event, Dr. Prosper Igboeli, said for Nigeria to move forward in healthcare delivery, the country must address the existing gaps of health related MDGs.

“To reduce mortality, every community and every pregnant woman should have available well designed programme of ante partum care, such should be defined as medical evaluation in ascertaining the efficiency of health services.”

In his remarks, outgoing Chairman of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) FCT chapter, Dr.  Nicholas Baamlong,
urged government to take concrete steps towards addressing maternal mortality, failure which will continue to hamper the nation’s MDGs target.

He further tasked NMA members to put more in service delivery as well as providing succour to Nigerians who need care.