Abakaliki: No fewer than 300 male adults and children have benefited from the free scrotal hernia surgery provided by the Better Health for Rural Women and Internally Displaced Persons Foundation (BERWO) of Ebonyi Governor’s wife, Mrs. Mary-Maudlune Nwifuru. Prof. Nkechi Emma-Echiegu, team lead of the foundation, disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Abakaliki on Wednesday, marking the two years of Gov. Francis Nwifuru in office.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, Emma-Echiegu stated that the beneficiaries of the surgeries were selected from the 13 local government areas of the state. The BERWO Team Lead also revealed that in 2024, the foundation had enrolled 4,078 pregnant women into the state health insurance and facilitated free immunization for 600 infants.

Emma-Echiegu emphasized the significant achievements by Mrs. Nwifuru’s office over the two years, highlighting initiatives such as youth and women empowerment. She noted that 600 infants aged 0 to 5 years were vaccinated across the state’s local government areas, and 300 sickle cell champions received treatment during this period.

The foundation has also focused on empowering youths with various skills, providing them with start-up kits, and supporting women groups in agriculture with farm inputs to improve their livelihoods. Additionally, BERWO has addressed issues of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and has thematic areas including maternal mortality, youth and women empowerment, girl child education, internally displaced persons, and GBV.

Emma-Echiegu further mentioned that the state government, under the BERWO foundation, aims to distribute 17,000 postnatal care items to pregnant and nursing mothers in rural communities through Mrs. Nwifuru’s Baby Shower Initiative. The distribution, in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health and the Office of the Wife of the Governor, aims to increase the patronage of Primary Health Centres by pregnant women.