Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has called on the private sector to enter into Innovative Partnerships to support Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH + N). She made the call at a Private Sector Advocacy Meeting for Investment in the RMNCAH+N Sector at the Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja.
Mrs. Buhari averred that the private sector has a critical role to play in this regard and called on them to play their part and “invest in assuring the future of our women and children” harping on the need for them “to join hands in the fight against preventable maternal and child mortality in Nigeria”
She affirmed that several programmes on maternal and child health are ongoing with significant progress being recorded, but that much still needs to be done. That, she said, is why the Aisha Buhari Foundation through the Future Assured Programme continues to commit to the acceleration of efforts to end preventable maternal, new born and child deaths.
No woman, she said, should die giving birth and no child should die without having a chance to live.
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, speaking earlier, commended the wife of the President for spearheading advocacy for private sector investment in the health sector, saying the meeting is a collaborative work between Future Assured and the Ministry of Health.
He affirmed that the lives of women and children of Nigeria are not disposable, noting that this initiative is therefore worth supporting. He called on wives of Governors to cascade the campaign to the state level and involve their husbands, the governors and the business community. He also commended ongoing effort by the business community to set aside one percent of their profit to a health support trust fund, saying it will make a great difference. He called on the private sector to support this new initiative.
Professor Hadiza Galadanci, notable gynaecologist and obstetrician at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, painted a grim picture of the status of the health of women and children in Nigeria, stressing the need for private sector to complement government effort through health care financing. She also called for accelerated efforts to address poverty, improve girl child education, and provide universal health care through community health insurance.
The event was attended by wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, wife of the Speaker, Mrs. Gimbiya Dogara, wives of Governors, Captains of Industry, Development Institutions and the Civil Society.