· Inaugurates 20 Health Champions
In response to identified gaps in women’s healthcare, the Public Health Sustainable Advocacy Initiative (PHSAI) with support from Pathfinder International has urged the Lagos State Ministry of Health to prioritise its budget and funding allocations to meet their needs.
A recent in-depth research report has uncovered significant deficiencies in accessibility and funding for women’s healthcare in Lagos State. In response to these findings, PHSAI in collaboration with Pathfinder International has taken proactive measures to address these gaps. Consequently, it has launched a ground-breaking initiative by inaugurating 20 Inclusive Women’s Health Champions at a capacity-building workshop weekend, in Lagos. These champions are committed to improving women’s health services in Lagos State and closing the existing disparities.
Of the five percent of the total Lagos State 2024 healthcare budget put at N114.378 billion, only N227,103,500 is allocated to family planning and reproductive health.
Abiodun Ajayi, the Executive Director of PHSAI, stressed the importance of prioritising women’s health, emphasising that “Preserving women’s lives is vital for securing the well-being of future generations. We must amplify the voices of women and allocate adequate funding towards projects that support women.” This initiative aims to bring about tangible enhancements in women’s healthcare services and advocate for increased governmental support to effectively address the identified gaps.
Abiodun said, “Saving the lives of women is essential for safeguarding the well-being of future generations. We must amplify women’s voices and allocate sufficient funding towards projects that benefit women.” The initiative aims to bring about tangible improvements in women’s healthcare services and advocate for increased governmental funding to successfully address identified gaps.
Barr. Ayo Adebusoye, Chairman of PHSAI, expressed concern over the urgency of the situation, citing the alarming maternal mortality rate in Nigeria, with 512 deaths for every 100,000 births. He enjoined the champions to work towards reducing maternal deaths in Lagos by 20 percent before 2030. “It’s a marathon, but every life saved is a job well done,” Adebusoye noted.
Also, Dr. Funmi Ige, President of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, emphasised the importance of prioritising women’s health, stating, “When you take care of a woman and a child, you have taken care of the family, and ultimately, the nation.”
Earlier, in her remarks, Ms. Margaret Chichi Nkire, State Programme Coordinator of Pathfinder Lagos, said that the goal of the project under the New Venture Fund Project aims to achieve better maternal and newborn health policy and funding for the health of women in Lagos State and Kano State in Nigeria and will run from January to December 2024.
“Our mission is to strengthen multi-level partnerships for advocacy for women’s health in Nigeria from January to December 2024 especially in Lagos and Kano States where PHSAI will be supporting our advocacy drive and Centre for Communication and Social Impact will be providing technical support for the project,” Nkire stressed.
The Lagos State Ministry of Health has endorsed the initiative which is focused on enhancing women’s health within the State.
With the inauguration of the Inclusive Women’s Health Champions, PHSAI is positioned to create a substantial positive influence on the lives of women in Lagos State. “Together, we can achieve a better and sustainable health facility that will be enviable across the federation,” Ajayi noted.