By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said it is curbing maternal and child deaths in the territory through strategic interventions such as free antenatal care, delivery services, and health insurance for pregnant women.
The Mandate Secretary for Health Services and Environment, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, made this known during the flag-off of the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII) in Abuja to mark the 2025 World Health Day with the theme ” Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,”.
Dr. Fasawe, emphasized the importance of maternal and child health to Nigeria’s development, decried the prevalence of mortality and child deaths in Nigeria.
She said, “It is unfortunate that out of every 100,000 women who give birth globally, about 397 die, and 70 percent of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa with Nigeria sadly leading that statistic.”
However, she assured that the Renewed Hope Initiative championed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu is focused on reversing the trend.
She announced that every pregnant woman in the FCT is entitled to free health insurance, adding that ,” whether you give birth vaginally or via cesarean section, it is completely free.”
“We are ensuring that pregnant women in the FCT do not pay a kobo for antenatal care, delivery, or postnatal services. They will also be enrolled in the FCT Health Insurance Scheme at no cost,” she stated, adding that the initiative aligns with the FCTA’s commitment to achieving universal health coverage, Fasawe said.
While praising the advocacy role of the media Dr. Fassawe urged journalists to amplify the message that maternal deaths are preventable.
She also called on pregnant women to partner with the government by keeping antenatal appointments, choosing safe facility-based deliveries, and completing postnatal care including vaccinations for newborns.
“This fight is not ours alone it’s also yours,” she said to the women in attendance. “We stand today because you, our pregnant women, are the guests of honour”, she noted.
The launch event served not only to commemorate World Health Day but also to symbolize a new era of “Healthy Beginnings and Hopeful Futures” for Nigerian mothers and children, she stressed.
Also speaking the Representative of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the National Coordinator Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII) Project at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, said the initiative is a practical response to the President’s directive that “no woman should die as a result of childbirth.”
The initiative, flagged off in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) includes free health insurance for pregnant women, access to free cesarean sections, mama delivery kits, and transportation vouchers, among others, Adeyanju said.
According to him, Nigeria currently contributes about 20 percent of global maternal deaths, a statistic that has driven the government’s resolve to take urgent action.
“MAMII is not just a slogan,” he said. “It is a comprehensive programme aimed at ensuring that every pregnancy results in a healthy baby and a healthy mother.”
“From providing mama kits and starter packs to revitalizing health facilities and offering transport vouchers, this initiative touches every part of the journey to motherhood.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo,who supported the initiative lauded the FCTA’s leadership and reiterated WHO’s backing for the MAMII project.
“With interventions like the MAMII initiative, we are hopeful that every child will be born healthy, with the opportunity to grow, thrive, and prosper,” he said.
Dr. Mulombo also pledged WHO’s commitment to ensuring accountability in the rollout of free health services.
“As the Mandate Secretary has announced that insurance will be free, I will monitor to make sure it is truly free and that you benefit from it,” he affirmed, emphasizing that a “healthy beginning leads to a hopeful future.”
