The First Lady, Dr Patience Jonathan, has attributed the high maternal and child mortality in the country to lack of information and knowledge about health issuers.
She stated this on in Abuja at the Sensitisation workshop for State Commissioners of Women, on Maternal and Child Healthcare in Nigeria.
Represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Gender Affairs, Asmau Abdulkadir, she said “most of the maternal and child deaths occur in our rural communities, not just because of health facilities, but also due to lack of information and knowledge about their health.”
According to her, the collaboration between the National Health Care Development Agency and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development demonstrated the needed partnership to ensure success in addressing the socio-cultural issues that promote maternal and child mortality through community mobilisation.
Mrs Jonathan called on the traditional rulers, lawmakers and policymakers to encourage men and women in the rural communities to uptake maternal and Child Health Services, especially immunisation, thereby improving the lives of women and children.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Zainab Maina, said it was necessary to engage stakeholders in the health sector to fashion modalities to reach the grassroots so that the Maternal and Child Mortality and Morbidity significantly reduced.
“I, therefore, urge all the state Commissioners, Directors of Women Affairs and Child Development Departments to take back the message from this workshop and mobilise the support of religious leaders and community based organisations in your states to strengthen our health programmes.”
