Traditional rulers, community leaders and residents of Bonny Local Government Area have pledged strong grassroots support for the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Initiative (MAMII), as Rivers State deepens efforts to curb preventable deaths among pregnant women and newborns.
The commitment was made during the MAMII engagement in Bonny, according to a Facebook post shared on Tuesday, where stakeholders drawn from riverine communities gathered to align traditional structures with government-led health interventions aimed at improving maternal outcomes.
Speaking at the event, the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, described maternal and newborn mortality as not just a health issue but a collective social responsibility. She said the Rivers State Government had fully embraced the MAMII framework to ensure that no woman is left without skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth.
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Dr Oreh stressed that the involvement of traditional rulers and community gatekeepers was critical to the success of the initiative, noting that cultural influence and local leadership play a decisive role in encouraging women to seek antenatal care and deliver in health facilities.
She disclosed that the Federal Government’s donation of two water ambulances to the state would significantly strengthen emergency referral services in riverine areas such as Bonny, where access to health facilities is often delayed by difficult terrain.
Traditional rulers at the event pledged to use their influence to promote safe motherhood practices, discourage harmful traditions, and mobilise community members to support pregnant women before, during and after delivery. Health workers also reaffirmed their commitment to delivering quality care and improving surveillance of high-risk pregnancies.
Community members, in turn, expressed optimism that the initiative would translate into tangible improvements, particularly in early referrals, emergency response and awareness around maternal health.
Dr Oreh urged all stakeholders to move beyond declarations to sustained action, emphasising that every pregnancy deserves a safe delivery and every child a healthy start. She assured that the state government would continue to prioritise maternal and newborn health as a cornerstone of its healthcare agenda.
The MAMII initiative is part of broader efforts to reduce preventable maternal and neonatal deaths by strengthening community engagement, emergency response systems and access to quality healthcare services across Rivers State.
