President Bola Tinubu has promised to address avoidable maternal deaths during childbirth and also guarantee that girls continue their education.
The empowerment and care of girls, women, and young people in the nation are top priorities for Tinubu’s administration, he said at the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) State of the World Population 2024 report launch yesterday in Abuja.
Following the global premiere in Geneva on April 17, 2024, the UNFPA released its flagship State of the World Population Report with the subject “Interwoven Lives, Threads of Hope: Ending inequalities in sexual and reproductive health and rights.”
The president emphasized the significance of ensuring that girls stay in school and avoid early motherhood, as well as the need to implement laws to end gender-based violence and harmful practices like early/forced marriages and female genital mutilation. The president was represented by Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the coordinating minister of health and social welfare.
He states that by carrying out its commitment to speed up actions in Nigeria, his administration is dedicated to preserving hope for girls, women, and young people. He also states that his government will make sure that every girl has access to high-quality healthcare and education, and that no woman dies while giving birth.
In recognition of their vital role in Nigeria’s development, the administration has given girls, women, and young people’s empowerment top priority in its Renewed Hope Agenda.
He noted that the government plans to incorporate contemporary solutions into policies and initiatives that serve this population, with an emphasis on bolstering the four D Principles: development, democracy, demography, and diaspora.
Launched in December 2023, the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative is evidence of the administration’s dedication to the health and welfare of women, girls, and young people.
The objective of this program is to enhance the availability of high-quality healthcare services, encompassing family planning and reproductive health, and tackle the distinct obstacles that this population faces.
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule also voiced his indignation at the occasion, calling it “unacceptable” and “a shame” that women will still be dying during childbirth in 2024 due to Nigeria’s persistently high maternal mortality rate.
Emmanuel Akabe, his deputy, emphasized the need for coordinated effort to address maternal health, infant mortality, stunting, and malnutrition. He called on healthcare stakeholders to come together and work together in order to “save lives” and enhance Nigeria’s healthcare system.
To guarantee broad ownership and application of solutions, the governor suggested that the report on these matters be brought before the Governors Forum and Council of Health.
