Adeleke spoke in Osogbo, the state capital, during an advocacy visit by the representatives of the WHO, Federal Ministry of Health and members of the investigative team working on the project.
The governor, who was represented by the Chairman, Osun State Hospital Management Board, Dr. Kola Akinrinoye, further said, “Kangaroo mother care project would promote healthy living, especially for the mothers and low-weight babies,” adding that the “implementation of the initiative would start from the state Specialist Hospital, Asubiaro and later moved to state General Hospital, Ede.”
The governor as quoted in a bulletin published by the Ministry of Information on Wednesday, further said, “We wish you our guests all the best and we assure you of the government’s readiness to work with the team with the hope that more World Health Organisation programmes will come to the state.”
Speaking earlier, the Principal Investigator, Prof. Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, explained that Kangaroo mother care, a method of holding a baby to the chest of the mother for skin-to-skin contact, has many benefits for babies, especially those born with low weight.
Adejuyigbe, who stated that Kangaroo mother care has the potential to save up to 150,000 or more lives annually, added that it would also support the physical health of low-weight babies, when combined with exclusive breastfeeding, nurturing the bond between the mother and baby.
In his presentation, a Consultant working with the WHO, Prof. Harish Chellani, explained that research conducted in five countries, including Nigeria and India, had revealed that keeping the mother and baby together in KMC has many advantages including the provision of warmth for the newborn, early mother breastfeeding and prevention of infection.
