Cross River State has recorded a significant decline in maternal mortality, with deaths reducing from 54 cases in 2023 to just six in the first quarter of 2026, as the state government unveiled 18 ultrasound machines to strengthen maternal healthcare across all 18 local government areas.
Key Highlights
- Cross River records a drop in maternal mortality from 54 cases in 2023 to six in Q1 2026.
- State government unveils 18 ultrasound machines for all 18 local government areas.
- Fifty-four frontline health workers to receive training in basic obstetric ultrasonography.
- Initiative supported by the World Bank-assisted IMPACT Project.
- Programme targets early detection of pregnancy complications and safer maternal healthcare.
- Rural communities expected to benefit from improved access to diagnostic services.
The State Government disclosed the development during the unveiling ceremony, describing the initiative as part of ongoing efforts to improve maternal and child healthcare while reducing preventable maternal and neonatal deaths.
The intervention is being implemented through the World Bank-assisted Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health and the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
Speaking at the event in Calabar, the Deputy Governor, Peter Odey, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, said the ultrasound machines would improve early detection of pregnancy-related complications and expand access to quality maternal healthcare, particularly in underserved rural communities.
He explained that the equipment would be deployed to primary healthcare facilities across the state’s 18 local government areas, ensuring that pregnant women receive timely diagnostic services closer to their communities.
Odey also announced that 54 frontline health workers would undergo a five-day specialised training programme in basic obstetric ultrasonography to improve their capacity to identify pregnancy complications early and facilitate timely referrals.
According to him, the initiative aligns with the administration’s policy of decentralising healthcare services and reducing the burden on expectant mothers who often travel long distances to access ultrasound services.
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Chairman of the Cross River State House of Assembly Committee on Health, Rt. Hon. Hilary Bisong, described the deployment of the ultrasound machines as a major milestone in expanding equitable healthcare delivery across the state.
He said the initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring that quality healthcare is accessible regardless of where residents live.
“These eighteen ultrasound scanners are more than medical equipment. They represent the democratisation of healthcare. They affirm that a pregnant woman in Obanliku deserves the same quality of early diagnosis as one in Calabar, and that a mother in Bakassi deserves the same opportunity for a safe delivery as any mother anywhere in the world,” Bisong said.
He added that while technology plays a vital role in improving healthcare outcomes, its effectiveness depends on skilled and dedicated healthcare professionals. He pledged the continued support of the State House of Assembly through legislation and oversight to sustain ongoing reforms in the health sector.
The IMPACT Project Manager, Paul Odey, disclosed that each of the state’s 18 local government areas had received one ultrasound scanner, which has been deployed to a high-performing primary healthcare facility.
He said the training programme targets midwives, radiographers, community health officers and clinicians who will provide ultrasound services at the grassroots level.
According to Odey, the intervention addresses a longstanding healthcare gap that left many pregnant women in rural communities without access to ultrasound examinations during pregnancy.
“Every pregnant woman is meant to have a minimum of three ultrasound scans before delivery. Before now, most women in rural communities did not get even one,” he said.
The state government expressed optimism that the initiative would further improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes while strengthening primary healthcare delivery across Cross River State.
