By Asma’u Ahmad
The wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, has appealed to stakeholders in the private sector to support the fight against the scourge of maternal and child death in Nigeria.
Aisha Buhari made the call on Thursday at a private sector meeting for investment in Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition in Nigeria (RMNCAH and N) at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Newsmen report that the event was organised by the Future Assured initiative of the president’s wife to galvanise the private sector participation to boost investment in preventing increase in maternal and child death in Nigeria.
The meeting was aimed at sensitising stakeholders from private sector to understand the need to draw more attention to rising cases of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition challenges by advocating increase investment of private sector in the health sector.
The wife of the President expressed her commitment to continue championing the advocacy against maternal and child mortality in Nigeria.
She said that the foundation had over the years contributed to strengthening mechanism for enhance advocacy to ending the scourge of maternal and child infant mortality rate in the country.
Aisha Buhari, who expressed her dismay over the increasing maternal and child death in the country, said that there is the need for private sector to participate in tackling the menace.
“This is beyond women speaking for women, it is about preserving our humanity, it is about us taking collective responsibility to secure a better Nigeria for everyone to thrive.
“We insist that no woman should die while giving birth and no child should lose his or her life without having a chance to live.
“I therefore call on stakeholders to increase investment to secure the lives and future of our women and children’’ she said.
Also speaking, Prof. Hadiza Galadanchi, a Gynaecologist from Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), said that one of the targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-3 was enhancing and accessing good healthcare for all.
Hadiza Galadanchi noted that the national statistics indicated that forty thousand (40,000)women died of maternal related cases due to lack of education and access to medical facilities despite government’s efforts to tackle maternal and child health challenges in Nigeria.
She, however, said that one of the basic ways to prevent and promote maternal health was education for the girl-child.
According to her, education and women empowerment was the surest ways to tackle problems associated with maternal and child health in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole expressed appreciation to the wife of the President for making efforts towards championing advocacy to end maternal health in Nigeria.
Adewole said that advocacy was key to the success of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health and nutrition.
The Minister, therefore, pledged to support the effort of the Future Assured programme to end problems associated with the health and wellbeing of women and children in Nigeria.
On her part, the wife of the Cross River State Governor, Mrs Linda Ayade, said, the rate of maternal and child death in the country was alarming.
Mrs Ayade said that the meeting was apt considering the rising cases of maternal death in the country.
She, however, expressed her desire to partner with the Future Assured initiative of Mrs Aisha Buhari to champion the advocacy to end the menace.
She pointed out that the influx of refugees from the neighbouring Cameroun republic posed serious humanitarian crises in the state.
According to her, there is urgent need to address the challenge by Stakeholders.
