UNICEF Hands Over Medical Equipment Worth Over $300,000 To Borno Govt

By Francis Okoye

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has handed over health supplies and equipment worth over $300,000 US dollars to Borno state government.

Speaking at a brief handover ceremony held at UNICEF Central Store in Maiduguri on Thursday, the UNICEF Chief of Borno Field Office, Phuong 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 fulfill their potential.

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

She explained that UNICEF will soon hand over a newly built primary health care center 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.

She said, “Protracted conflict has continued to contribute to disease outbreaks and high 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 health care facilities located in their communities.”

“This support is in addition to other essential health and nutrition services UNICEF and donors is 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 north-east to ensure the survival and wellbeing of women and children.

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

He explained that Borno state is one of the state in Nigeria with highest indices of maternal and neonatal mortality but said UNICEF is committed to seeing that every child and pregnant woman gets the best healthcare 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 years of insurgency which had resulted in the lost 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 lost of a lot of personnel . Some were kidnapped, some were killed and some have suffered from distress disorder, that left Borno state in a callous and critical situation.

“But with the assistance from UNICEF, we have gotten some succour for our people, ” Gana said.

UNICEF Hands Over Medical Equipment Worth Over $300,000 To Borno Govt