Date: 2022-02-13

As part of efforts to reduce maternal mortality in Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) operating under the aegis of 'Delouse Rural and Urban Women Initiative' has launched a 3-year initiative programme to tackle the menace in society.

Addressing Journalists during the launching ceremony and award of excellence to selected personalities that had contributed to the development of the women and children in Kwara state and beyond, the CEO of the foundation, Dr. Elizabeth Bukola Ijaodola, disclosed that the three-year initiative programme was based on three scopes; Medical health, Financial Health, and Social Health.

"As a maternal health advocate, we discovered that the only way we can curb the high maternal death in Nigeria is to deploy 3 tier solution in addressing maternal health issues. The maternal death is quite alarming, 850 per 100,000 birth, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In Africa, we are rated number 4 among the most populous nation with high maternal death.

"Many reasons are responsible for this menace, most women cannot afford quality healthcare, women are placed as the second citizen, most women lack the confidence to talk on what they are passing through health-wise.

"The initiative will promote subsidized healthcare for women, curb the poverty level because according to the bureau of statistics, 90 million Nigerians live in poverty. We are forming a cooperative society that will promote women in business with free interest loans. We are also partnering some private organizations and government to give women proper healthcare and train them on sustainable income".

Disclosing the number of people to benefit from the initiative, Dr Ijaodola said "our target is 16,000 women in Kwara state, means 1,000 per each Local Government Area in the state. We are closing target already with support of women volunteers".

Acknowledging the importance of the initiative in society and giving women better life, one of the foremost women advocate, Pastor Busola Olotu, said "this initiative is timely because women are fast becoming endangered species due to level of poverty in the country, this initiative has come at the right time.

"Moreover, with the way and manner the initiative is designed it will help greatly in curbing poverty in the society, because by empowering a woman, it will definitely affect the entire family of that woman positively, due to the strategic position women occupied in the family".

Pastor Olotu, however, urged the government to embrace this kind of initiative that cares for better living for women, saying that, "this type of initiative is critical to the foundation of a better society because of the critical roles women play in society."

The event witnessed health sensitisation, the formation of a co-operative society to achieve the organization target, and conferment of the award of excellence to women of substance in the society.ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE