Abuja – The Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday expressed sadness over loss of 33,000 women annually to pregnancy related cases in the country.
She spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting on proposed efforts to improve the health of women and children in the country at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“It is painful to know that every year Nigeria loses 33,000 women due to pregnancy related conditions; 800,000 of its children under five years and 260,000 newborns.
“Furthermore, Nigeria disproportionately bears 50 per cent of the global child mortality even though it makes up only about two per cent of the global population.
“Far too many children under the age five are still stunted and under-weight,” she said.
The president’s wife lamented that Nigeria was still classified among the countries that made insufficient progress towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.
She said the “gloomy outlook” regarding the health of women and children provided more than enough reasons for a holistic and concerted action to accelerate efforts to change the status quo.
Aisha said the health of women and children was one of the major issues dear to her heart and would do everything possible to address it.
She said the forum was part of measures to address the challenges and called for suggestion on how best to augment the ongoing efforts towards improving the health and well being of women and children in the country.
Aisha said that one of the cardinal objectives of the administration was to improve the overall well being and heath status of women and children.
She expressed readiness to use her privileged position to champion the course of improving the health of women and children in the country.
“To this end, I am today in the presence of all of you, declaring to lend my voice in order to bring about the desired change in this regard,” she said.
