Vihiga Governor Wilberforce Otichillo during second partnership meeting with UNICEF country leadership, January 25, 2018. [Photo|Wilberforce Otichillo]Vihiga Governor Wilberforce Otichillo on Thursday held a second partnership meeting with UNICEF country leadership. UNICEF Country Representative Werner - Schultink, Chief of Health - Rory Nefdt, Chief of Social Policy - Ousmane Niang, Chief of Kisumu Zonal Office - Wangui Karanja, and Health Specialist - Dr. Edwin Lutomia were present.The meeting aimed towards strengthening maternal and child healthcare in Vihiga County. They toured Mbale Rural Health Training Centre to experience the status of maternal and child healthcare services offered in the county's health facilities, to better inform the realization of OttichiloCare."The County government of Vihiga working collaboratively with UNICEF will develop a concept paper in the next two weeks, that will define the current health status of Vihiga County and define the way forward," affirmed the governor.He noted he was fully committed to ensuring mothers and babies have access to the best medical healthcare services as well as support to ensure reduction of maternal and child mortality rates.The OttichiloCare Programme aims to encourage pregnant women/mothers to attend all the 4 Ante Natal Clinic (ANC) visits to aid the health workers attend to complications that may arise during pregnancy. The programme also seeks to encourage mothers to have their deliveries at health facilities to mitigate pregnancy and child birth complications promptly."This partnership will bring together all health workers, from the administration to the implementation of the programme at the community level by the Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) and Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWS)," said Otichillo.

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