By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate has disclosed that the Federal Government is set to release the sum of N25 billion to 8800 health facilities across the country for the reduction of maternal mortality and newborns in the country .
The minister said that the funds would be released to the health facilities through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA and the National Health Insurance Agency, NHIA.
Prof. Pate disclosed this recently in Abuja during the Commemoration of the 2024 National Safe Motherhood Day in Nigeria with the theme, Investing in Maternal Health for a Sustainable Future” , with the slogan, ” Mother Lives, Child Thrives.”
According to the minister, safe motherhood can be achieved when a pregnant woman receives all pillars of care during and after pregnancy, such as antenatal care, skilled and facility-based delivery, quality services as well as postnatal care, family planning, postpartum family planning and post-abortion family planning.
Prof. Pate called for the support of all stakeholders, including development partners, religious and traditional leaders, and the media to educate the general public to achieve this desired objective.
“We have to ensure that all women in Nigeria have access to quality maternal care, irrespective of where you come from, whether they’re from rural areas or not, whether they’re educated or not so that we don’t leave any woman behind” he stressed.
The minister emphasized that the aim of providing the fund is to reach at least 7 million pregnant women through health care per year and at least 6 million newborn births annually.
He further stated that the objective is to ensure that no woman is left behind when it comes to access to quality maternal care, access to skilled birth attendants, facility birth delivery and Non-communicable diseases screening, like hypertension, diabetes in pregnancy and family planning.
Meanwhile, the Minister reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s prioritisation of the health of Nigerian citizens is key to the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Prof. Pate recalled that the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative unveiled in December 2023 in synergy with the 36 State Governors, development partners and the Federal Government is to ensure improved population health outcomes in a sector-wide manner.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry , Daju Kachollom noted that maternal health complications which contribute to 55 per cent cases of maternal mortality in Nigeria as postpartum haemorrhage, preeclampsia/eclampsia and unsafe abortion.
She urged pregnant women, family members and other stakeholders to
ensure the safety of a pregnant woman and her child during pregnancy, delivery and after delivery.
She said, “In line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, Prof. Pate’s 4 point agenda on the health sector is to prioritize safe motherhood via 120,000 front line health workers capacity and, additional primary Health care will receive funds under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to cater for mothers and Children across the nation.
