The Rotary International through Rotary Action Group on Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health has said that it would continue to complement Ogun State Government in reducing Maternal and Child Mortality rates in the state.

It added that the organization had organized a Community dialogue for stakeholders on Maternity and Child Care across the state, in addressing the issue of maternity and child mortality rate in the State.

Speaking during the Community Dialogue held in Ayetoro, Yewa North Local Government, the Project State Chairman, Rotarian. Dr. Hassan Adelakun, hinted that the active involvement of concerned stakeholders would help the State in achieving its goals of reducing Maternal and Child Mortality rates to the barest minimum.

Adelakun identified ignorance on maternity care, family planning, immunization, childhood illness management as factors affecting both mothers and children health.

“There is family planning services free of charge in our public centres, we are hoping that because of the position you hold in the society, you will help us to amplify our voices so that our people would be better informed,” he said

He also mentioned that “Nigeria has about 512 maternal mortality (death of mothers) per 100,000 birth now. While the under five mortality ratio in Nigeria is 201 per 1000 live births, meaning that one in five Nigerian children never reach the age of 5, infant deaths which account for half of child mortality have increased from what they were in 1990. Indeed, it was the worst in the world,”

He said that most of the death were preventable, noting that part of the ongoing activities of the project was training of doctors, nurses, midwives and family planning providers in Ogun, Oyo and Lagos State, especially on Maternal and Child Health and Safe Family Planning Method.

In his presentation, the Head General Hospital, Ayetoro, Dr. Olawale Maku, expatiated on the myths and misconceptions of family planning, encouraging participants to spread the crusade of the benefits among their members for it to be widely embraced.

Maku applauded the present administration-led by Prince Dapo Abiodun for the procurement of new equipment and renovation of some government’s health facilities, appealing for recruitment of more personnel in the sector.

Speaking on behalf of the participants, Chief Imam of Ayetoro, Alhaji Ganiyu Ajakore and Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Samuel Ayanyemi said the Community dialogue was an eye-opener, enjoining other participants to spread the knowledge gained from the community dialogue to the people in their respective areas.

Other participants present were; representative of Ayetoro Council of Chiefs, Transport Unions, Commercial Motorcycle Riders, Primary Healthcare Officials, Iyaloja, Traditional Birth Attendants among others, they all appealed for continuous sensitization of people to promote the well being of the family and improvement on the socio-economic development.

It would be recalled that Rotary was international service organization whose purposes was to bring together businesses and professional Leaders, in order to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.