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Nigeria will save $1.5 billion yearly by investing in maternal health – UNFPA

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The United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, on Wednesday said Nigeria would be saving $1.5 billion annually by investing in maternal health.

The Deputy Representative of UNFPA, Eugene Kongnyuy, made the disclosure in Lagos at the Unveiling of the Regional Ambassador for Maternal Health in West and Central Africa Region organised by the fund.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that renowned Nollywood Actress, Stephanie Linus-Okereke, was unveiled as the Regional Ambassador for Maternal Health in West and Central Africa Region by the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole.

Mr. Kongnyuy said, “In Nigeria, the country will be saving 1.5 billion dollars yearly by investing in maternal health.

“Investing in maternal health is a smart investment; if you put one dollar in maternal health, it will yield 120 dollars.

“So, it is where the government should put its money, because it is yielding high returns.

“Globally, if you think of maternal health and translate it, the number of women dying, because when a woman dies, the baby is also likely to die.

“When you sum up all that globally, it leads to productivity loss of $15 billion every year of these women dying.’’

The representative said that the costs of not taking action now on maternal health would mean that poverty eradication efforts would be undermined.

According to him, economic growth will slow down, inequalities sustained and countries will miss out on a vast source of human capital needed to take sustainable development forward in the 21st century.

“While this is the role of the government, the mandate of UNFPA, and an area of interest of many organisations, the role of the community and individual champions cannot be underestimated.

“In particular, we need high profile public advocates for maternal health and the rights of young people to reach their full potential in Africa,” he said.

Mr. Kongnyuy said that more than 55 per cent of pregnant women still gave birth without any assistance from a skilled health worker.

He said that only 12 per cent of pregnant women who needed emergency obstetric care services received them.

“This means lots of women and adolescent girls are still at risk of dying from pregnancy-related conditions.

“Some progress has been made, but a lot still needs to be done.

“There is need to raise awareness on these development issues, engage communities and advocate for women and girls at the policy and decision making levels,” he said.

In his remarks, Omolaso Omotosehin, a Reproductive Health specialist with UNFPA, said, “Today, we celebrate the merging of two worlds – entertainment and development aid.

According to him, we leverage on both platforms to raise awareness on the issues that affect women and girls.

“We cannot underestimate the roles celebrities play in development or humanitarian aid.

“Celebrities are crucial in raising discussions on unpopular issues like child marriage, HIV Awareness, condom use, access to family planning and so on.

“They are significant partners in reaching many of the people that can foster change.

“In the real sense, we are all ambassadors, because we stimulate sensitive conversations and ask pertinent questions that serve as the bedrock for the change we want,” Mr. Omotosehin said.

 

Source: NAN

UNFPA Raises Concerns On Early Marriage in Nigeria

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The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has identified early marriage and adolescent pregnancy as some of the socio-economic factors, responsible for high rate of maternal and child mortality in Nigeria and other developing African countries.

The UNFPA Executive Director, Professor Babatunde Osetimehin disclosed this during an advocacy visit to Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Professor Osetimehin while stressing the negative implication of adolescent pregnancy to include school drop-out and increased incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections, (STI) also called for actions to improve reproductive health education in the country.

Professor Osetimehin further stated that adolescent pregnancy is generally not a deliberate choice of the girl child, and therefore should be discouraged.

The visit by the UNFPA officials to Kaduna was to assess how the state is improving in health and access to education for women and girls.

The governor presented Kaduna State Costed Implementation Plan for Child Spacing to the UN officials.

He expressed sadness that the north is the worst hit in terms of poverty, illiteracy level, maternal and child mortality rates, but however appealed to the United Nations to focus its intervention programmes to the most vulnerable states and regions in Nigeria.

Speaking to journalists, Professor Osetimehin said UNFPA is working to address the socio-economic issues by focusing on the protection and fulfillment of girls’ rights.

This includes supporting comprehensive education and reproductive health care to help girls avoid pregnancy.

UNFPA distributes 22,224 condoms in Calabar

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The United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, has distributed 22,224 condoms during its “Wise Up Cross River” campaign at Calabar Christmas village.

Olamide Onifade, Head, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, UNFPA, stated this via a statement he issued on Sunday in Calabar and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria.

Mr. Onifade said that since December 1 when the activities commenced at the village preparatory to the annual Calabar Carnival, 806 persons had been tested for and counselled on HIV/AIDS.

“Since the commencement of the ‘Wise Up Cross River’ campaign, 22,224 condoms, comprising 21,036 male and 1,188 female condoms have been distributed alongside 3,748 information, education and communication materials.’’

“Also, of the 1,235 people that have so far visited the “Wise Up Cross River” stand in the Christmas village, eight persons (six males and two females) have tested positive to the virus,” he said.

The unit head said those who tested positive had commenced treatment and been linked with relevant bodies, such as People Living with HIV/AIDs and other necessary groups for assistance.

He said that the information, education and communication materials would further enlighten the recipients on the disease.

According to him, the “Wise Up Cross River” campaign is an initiative of the UNFPA and the office of the Wife of the Governor, Cross River and other partners.

“The campaign is targeted at reducing HIV/AIDS prevalence in the state, through the active involvement of the youth and the vulnerable.

“This is in line with the target of ending HIV/AIDS around the world by 2030, using the 90:90:90 strategy, developed by the UNAIDS,” he said.

Osun state records highest prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) – UNFPA

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The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Thursday said that Osun still recorded highest prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria with over 76.3 per cent.

Damilola Obinna, a Gender Analyst with UNFPA, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that FGM was high in the South-West in spite of the geo-political zone’s high literacy and awareness rate.

Mrs. Obinna said the statistics was arrived at after a survey was carried out by UNFPA in collaboration with UNICEF in 2015.

“After data collation and analysis, we discovered that Osun had 76.3 per cent prevalence rate, Ekiti had 71.2, Oyo, 69.7; Ebonyi, 55.6; Imo, 48.8; and Lagos, 44.8.

“There is no single benefit in the practice of female genital mutilation; yet, the practice is high even among the educated.

“Aside from the immediate risks of FGM which includes haemorrhage, infections, and death, survivors of FGM are liable to present later in their lives recurring urinary tract infections, menstrual problems, reproductive tract infections, depression, sexual dysfunction and pain, and chronic genital pain.

“They are also at risk for several adverse complications for both mother and newborn during childbirth,’’ she said.

Mrs. Obinna said that in Lagos, the awareness of FGM was high but statistics showed that four out of 10 girls or women had undergone female genital mutilation.

She said that Lagos Island L.G.A. recorded the highest prevalence with 51.6 per cent while Somolu L.G.A. had the lowest prevalence with 20.9 per cent.

“We discovered that most Lagos indigenes don’t cut their girls but the people who moved into Lagos from Kwara, Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Ebonyi and some other states, moved in with their culture which includes FGM.

“These people who still practice FGM claimed that it is a social expectation that most be carried out and that it cannot be stopped,’’ she said.

Mr. Obinna urged state governments to enact laws that would prohibit FGM in their states.

She said the states could domesticate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) of 2015.

She also urged governments to organise regular enlightenment programmes involving traditional, religious and community leaders to drive the message home.

“These people are role models in the society; people listen and emulate them; so, they must be fully involved in the total eradication of FGM,’’ Obinna said.

Nigeria requires $12m yearly for family planning, lifesaving drugs – UNFPA

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The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says Nigeria requires between $12 million and $16 million yearly to procure family planning commodities and lifesaving drugs.

Of this figure, the Ministry of Health has pledged to budget $3 million for next year.Executive Director of the UNFPA, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, stated this in a statement at the end of his visit to Nigeria.

Osotimehin noted that the inability of Nigeria to provide sufficient funds to procure these commodities would not affect UNFPA’s contributions to Nigeria, which amounted to about $7 million for commodities and lifesaving drugs in 2015.

He described the $12 million to $16 million funding requirement as a small amount considering the huge return on investment, saying, “nobody can place a value to life.”

The UNFPA chief said he had secured the commitment of Nigeria’s health minister to set aside money to buy these commodities.

“This is in addition to a commitment obtained at a meeting the UNFPA executive director had earlier in the year with the president and the minister of finance on a business case for family planning whereby Nigeria will annually just increase its contributions to getting commodities for the country until when the nation will be solely responsible for getting these commodities.”

On when the UNFPA would withdraw its aid to Nigeria, he said the agency would build on the business case for family planning until the country’s budget could finance the responsibility of procuring these commodities.

He urged the media to highlight the benefits of family planning to women and young girls.Osotimehin expressed happiness with the level of improvement of the wellbeing of girls supported by the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative, as most of the girls were unable to communicate in English language before the programme.

“UNFPA would like to clarify that the executive director did not mention $34 billion as the agency’s expenditure on maternal and lifesaving commodities for Nigeria during the media briefing, as reported by a news medium,” the statement stated.

100 Women Die Daily In Northern Nigeria During Childbirth- UNFPA

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Ms Ratidzai Ndhlovu, Nigeria Country Director of United Nations Population Fund ( UNFPA), says no fewer than 100 women die daily across Northern Nigeria during childbirth.

She spoke on Thursday in Sokoto at a consultative meeting with the theme: “Accelerating the Reduction of Maternal Deaths in Northern Nigeria: The Role of the Traditional and Religious Leaders.”

Ndhlovu decried the high maternal mortality figure, and stressed that collective efforts must be stepped up to redress the ugly trend.

” No pregnant woman should be allowed to die while bringing a life into the world and they should be adequately protected.

” Traditional rulers, community and religious leaders should take census of all pregnant women in their areas, with a view to tracking the exact figure of maternal mortality.

” This would help in gingering all of us to step up measures to reduce the menace and save more pregnant mothers and their children from dying during childbirth.

” This would certainly help in reducing maternal mortality and even help to reduce it to a zero-level across the North,” she said.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, who spoke called for the building of capacities of more traditional birth attendants in the region.

Abubakar said that the action would complement the efforts of the skilled midwives in health facilities.
He suggested that the traditional birth attendants ” should be recruited by the three tiers of government and deployed to health facilities, to boost manpower provision.’’

Credit: Leadership

UNFPA Responds To Nigeria’s Humanitarian Crisis; Supports Rescued Women, Girls

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UNFPA, our very own United Nations Population Fund, has been extremely active in humanitarian work in Nigeria since 2013, supporting the nation under the leadership and coordination of the National Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Management Agencies, as well as Federal and State Governments. It also supports civil society groups to complement government efforts. For example, the Nigerian Red Cross Society plays a key role in the distribution and monitoring of humanitarian supplies to affected states.

When humanitarian crises strike, UNFPA is there and fully committed to ensuring that women can deliver babies safely and that they and girls can maintain their health, dignity, rights and self-worth even in the most challenging situations. Its efforts are focused on supporting women and girls to restore their lives as quickly as possible and begin the process of healing to be able to fulfill their potential and once again resume productive lives.

In this context, UNFPA supports humanitarian work in 6 states (Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Adamawa, Kaduna and Benue) with the most concentrated support in Borno and Adamawa. It supports women and girls in need, including women and girls freed from captivity. In collaboration with the Borno and Adamawa State Ministries of Health, it trained, mobilized and deployed health workers to camps for internally displaced persons in the states. There, they are providing vitally needed psychosocial counseling support and health services, including to rescued women and girls, as well as to family and community members.

UNFPA works closely with community-based organizations and other partners to ensure that reproductive health is integrated into emergency responses. Specifically, UNFPA helps procure and distribute reproductive health kits in humanitarian settings. These are distributed mainly to health facilities in communities and to temporary clinics in displaced persons’ camps. They help ensure safe and clean delivery, ensure safe blood transfusion and provide medical assistance to survivors of sexual violence. They also include clean delivery kits for distribution to visibly pregnant women, where access to health facilities remains difficult. UNFPA is committed to improving the chances that no woman dies giving life, even during conflicts.

UNFPA addresses gender-based violence in humanitarian settings with a wide range of services, including counseling, post-rape treatment, legal support, assistance with livelihoods, and support through its Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) programs. Its support includes building national capacity in clinical management of rape and supporting the provision of psychosocial counseling to traumatized survivors of violence. UNFPA aims to build resilience at individual and community levels through support for psychosocial counseling for survivors, families and communities.

Upon the arrival of rescued women and children in Malkohi camp in Yola, UNFPA responded immediately by providing reproductive health care and psychosocial counseling to survivors of violence. Women and girls who survive unimaginable trauma of captivity and brutalizing violence need immediate and compassionate care and UNFPA has been, as always, determined to ensure that they are given everything they need to be able to heal with dignity, safety and a restored sense of self-worth. After a few weeks of counseling, there was marked improvement in the survivors.

UNFPA does NOT promote abortion as a method of family planning nor does it have any abortion related interventions in Nigeria. UNFPA supports voluntary family planning so that women and men can freely determine the number, timing and spacing of their children as well as prevent unwanted pregnancies—it is their human right to do so and to have the means to exercise that right. This helps reduce recourse to abortion. All UNFPA support abides by Nigeria’s laws.

UNFPA is committed to delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every child birth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. Its mandate was determined by United Nations Members, including Nigeria. Indeed, Nigeria is one of the countries whose 1965 appeal to the United Nations ultimately inspired UNFPA’s creation a few years later.

All UNFPA-supported interventions are approved, owned and implemented by Nigeria and respects the nation’s sovereignty, laws and priorities. UNFPA’s work is done through its partners such as Federal and State governments in Nigeria.

UNFPA in Nigeria is committed to save lives, restore dignity and rebuild broken lives of vulnerable women and girls.

In 2014 alone it:
supported more than 16,000 safe deliveries in North East Nigeria

reached 2,620,000 women and girls with SRH services including for Gender Based Violence (GBV) management in North East Nigeria.

supported provision of modern family planning services to an estimated 2,093,588 women and Couple Year Protection of 2, 222,029 countrywide

averted 2,383 maternal deaths country wide though its support

supported the provision of 1,045 free fistula treatment surgeries with 97% success rate across the country.

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For more information, please contact UNFPA’s Communications Analyst – Ms Ololade Daniel at odaniel@unfpa.org