From Musa Muhammad Kutama, Calabar
The Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA) has announced plans to commence the first round of the 2026 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) alongside the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination exercise across the 18 local government areas of the state.
The Director-General of the Agency, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang, in Calabar, where she sought collaboration and support for widespread sensitization ahead of the exercise scheduled to hold from June 4 to June 8, 2026.
Dr. Otu explained that the week-long programme would target children under five years, pregnant women, and adolescent girls aged nine years with critical healthcare interventions aimed at improving maternal and child health outcomes.
According to her, health workers would be deployed to health facilities, schools, churches, mosques, markets, recreational centres, and other designated centres across the state to provide free healthcare services.
“We are here to seek your collaboration as we are going to launch the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week from June 4 to June 8.
“During this period, we will provide interventions such as Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, family planning services, HIV counselling and testing, birth registration, routine immunization, and HPV vaccination for adolescent girls aged nine years,” she said.
The Director-General noted that the campaign would also include screening for severe acute malnutrition, distribution of multiple micronutrient supplements to pregnant women, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services.
She stressed the importance of public awareness and sensitization in ensuring the success of the exercise, especially in hard-to-reach communities where misconceptions and resistance to vaccination sometimes occur.
“By the time our health workers get to communities, schools, and markets, we do not want resistance or non-compliance. Awareness reduces our workload and helps us achieve wider coverage,” she added.
The Agency further disclosed that the exercise would be free, safe, and effective for all eligible beneficiaries, while parents and caregivers were encouraged to present their children and wards for the programme.
Responding, the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang, commended Governor Bassey Otu for prioritizing the health sector and praised Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu for her proactive leadership at the Primary Health Care Development Agency.
“The present administration is giving premium attention to the health sector.
“Governor Bassey Otu has done so well in healthcare and intends to do more. I must commend Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu for being proactive and committed,” Ekpang stated.
He assured the Agency of the Ministry’s full support in driving publicity and sensitization for the programme across all media platforms in the state.
“We are going to push this information through radio stations, television platforms, bulletins, and social media handles to ensure the message reaches every nook and cranny of Cross River State,” he assured.
Ekpang described information dissemination as a critical component of primary healthcare delivery, emphasizing that sustained awareness campaigns would help residents understand the importance of the interventions and improve participation during the exercise.