Abia Adopts Rural Emergency, Maternal Transport Programme to Tackle Mortality

The Abia State Government has domesticated the Federal Government’s Rural Emergency Services and Maternal Transport (RESMAT) initiative as part of efforts to improve access to healthcare and reduce maternal and child mortality.

The State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting.

He said the programme has commenced in three local government areas – Bende, Obingwa and Ukwa East – identified as having the highest maternal mortality rates in the state.

According to him, the initiative is designed to provide timely access to emergency medical care, particularly for pregnant women and newborns, thereby reducing maternal, neonatal and child deaths.

Kanu also revealed that the World Bank has approved Abia State as a beneficiary of a $250 million health security grant, attributing the achievement to ongoing reforms in the state’s health sector.

“The ongoing reforms of the government in the health sector helped to qualify Abia State as one of the beneficiary states of the grant,” he said.

He added that a recent visit by a World Bank team to assess the state’s public finance system in the health sector further boosted the programme, noting that the team commended the administration’s commitment to healthcare reforms.

The commissioner stated that since the inception of the current administration in 2023, the state has consistently allocated 15 per cent of its annual budget to the health sector, a move he said has attracted both local and international recognition.

He also noted that within the period under review, there were no reported outbreaks of major public health diseases such as Lassa fever, Mpox, diphtheria, yellow fever, cholera and conjunctivitis.

On education, Kanu disclosed that the results of oral interviews for the second batch of teacher recruitment candidates are being compiled, with successful applicants to be notified soon.

He said over 7,280 candidates scored above 40 per cent in the computer-based test, assuring that the recruitment process would remain transparent and merit-driven.

The commissioner further announced the commencement of the Abia State Accelerated Basic Education Programme, which compresses the six-year primary school curriculum into a three-year programme.

He explained that the initiative, implemented by the Agency for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, is aimed at providing opportunities for residents who missed out on basic education to obtain their First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC).

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, said the Abia ANPA Medical Mission, scheduled to be flagged off on Tuesday, would bring specialised medical expertise from the United States to the state.

He commended Governor Alex Otti for attracting the programme for the second time in two years, describing it as a testament to the administration’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery.

Uche urged residents to take advantage of the initiative, which offers free, high-quality medical services, noting that it would reduce the need for medical trips abroad by providing access to scarce medical skills within the state.