The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has expressed her readiness to champion the advocacy towards improving maternal and child health so as to minimize infant and maternal mortality in Nigeria.
Mrs. Buhari said this on Monday, during a peer review meeting with Governors’ Wives Advocacy Coalition, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting was organised by the first lady to ascertain the progress so far made on their advocacy toward improving reproductive, maternal, adolescent health and nutrition at the various states.
She expressed the need for stakeholders to make a strategic partnership to aggressively tackle the raising cases of maternal and child deaths.
”In 2017, we gathered to discuss the disheartening situation of maternal and child health in the country and realized the need to aggressively address the issue to avoid a situation where more women will have to choose whether to give birth to a child or stay alive.
“I am happy that we have demonstrated a commitment to making life better,” she said.
The first lady commended the wives of Governors for their commitment and the progress made so far on the advocacy towards addressing the menace in their various states.
”It is encouraging to receive the progress report from each state since the establishment of the coalition; I must appreciate the support you all provided.”
She, therefore, reaffirmed her commitment towards championing the course of women and children, especially in improving the maternal and child health in Nigeria.
Mrs. Buhari also used the occasion to decorate the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, and other wives of Governors as “Tuberculosis champions”.
On her part, the wife of Niger State Governor, Dr Amina Sani Bello, who read the seven-point communique at the end of the meeting, said that there was need for training and retraining of Governors wives on issues-based advocacy.
The communique urged organisations interested in working for the health and well being of women and children in states to involve the state’s first ladies from the planning to implementation stages.