When Niger, MTN said no to infant, maternal mortality

The long-healthcare campaign instigated by one of the leading telecommunication companies, MTN Foundation, tagged: The Yellow Heart Initiative, which toured about five states including Ogun, Abia, Kaduna, Cross River, came to an end in Minna, Niger State capital recently, as pregnant women and nursing mothers expressed their readiness to join forces with the government and the foundation to reduce the rate of infant and maternal mortality in the state and country at large to the barest minimum.

Just like the flag off event held in Abeokuta was greeted with a chorus Mama no go die again, pikin no go die again, because I get yellow heart  by pregnant women and nursing mothers, the venue of the grand finale of the campaign, Haske Hall, Minna, also had a similar experience as pregnant women and nursing mothers in their regalia chanted in Nupe language that the ‘era of ignorance and carelessness over their health and that of their children is over, because of Yellow Heat Initiative, just as they promised to spread the news of  the initiative across the state.

The high point of the two-day programme was the health walk tagged: MTN Foundation Yellow Heart Walk for Life, when the wife of the Niger State governor, Dr Amina Abubakar Bello led other top government functionaries including Permanent Sectary Ministry of Health, Dr Macus C.D; Permanent Sectary Ministry of Health, Dr Macus C.D; Health Portfolio Manager, MTN Foundation, Victor Orie-Ononogbu and others on the streets of Minna.

The grand finale of the campaign was indeed a success as the Niger State government and the citizens were delighted to receive the telecommunication company. The forum, however, jointly resolved to put an end to infant and maternal mortality within the state.

The representatives of Niger State government, led medical experts and other relevant healthcare agencies in the state as they all addressed the challenges and resolved on the way out to reduce and even eradicate infant and maternal mortality in the state.

A participant, Ahjia Aminat Yusuf from Bida Local Government, expressed her delight over the programme, noting that  it was useful for all pregnant women and nursing mothers.

“I want to appreciate MTN for their kind gesture. It is a welcome development, we are happy that they are much concern about peoples’ health, especially women and the younger generation. I am confident that this initiative will enhance the efforts of the state government in providing adequate health facilities for the people of Niger State.

“I want to charge pregnant women and nursing mothers to adhere to the advice of both the state government and MTN as well as make use of the facilities that has been put in place.

Dr Gbati Fatimot noted that the programme is a good initiative, but charged the telecommunication company to expand the initiative to all Local governments of the state in order to achieve a greater result.

“Though we will do our own part, but the both parties need to create more awareness in order to connect with people in the rural areas. It is painful that the workforce of the healthcare experts in state is relatively low and this has made the healthcare system in the state seems going backward among other states. We need more doctors, nurses and midwifery in the state. Importantly, we need into penetrate to the grassroot, because a lot of people don’t come to the hospital and not everybody that comes actually come for delivery. We have lots of primary healthcare systems, but the man power is low. The only way to solve all these problems is that the government needs to entice people as well as create a conducive environment.

“The culture around here is also posing a great challenge in Niger State, but mostly in the upper North. The Yellow Heart Initiative and the state government should ensure to constantly enlighten people not to allow our culture affect our health. We have had several avoidable complicated cases of pregnant women and child delivery. Some women prefer to give birth at home; while some husbands would not want male doctors attend to their wives,” she added.

The Director of the MTN Foundation, Alhaji Mohammed Danlami, stated that the company is committed to create awareness and collaborate with states across the county to save lives and provide healthcare services to people, especially mothers and children.

“I witnessed the Kaduna programme and this is the turn of Niger. I am impressed with the turnout and the result it has recorded so far. The initiative is to discover how the healthcare system is performing in the state and create more awareness for the people. We are synergising with the government and we will jointly coordinate the healthcare system in achieving a suitable goal. This is initiative is one of the newest programme we have had with the Niger State government. We have had dialyses, eye and heart programmes, among other initiatives. We feel this is one of the important ways to give back to our esteemed customers and the society at large and we will not relent from this,” Danladi added.

The Director, Public Health, Niger State, Dr Idris Ibrahim, who represented the Niger State Commissioner for Health, Dr Mustapha Jibrin; noted that the government and the ministry are already making effort to the claims that is discouraging some people from visiting healthcare centres. He restated the Governor Abubakar Sani Bello-Led government is not relenting in its commitment to provide free medical services to all the people of Niger State.

He also stated that the government is working extensively in the area of human recourses, adding that, “My, boss, the health commissioner, has made it clear overtimes that this administration has employed more than 500 healthcare workers unlike in the last administration where embargo was placed on employment. The governor made a justification on why health workers must be employed. Their salaries have also improved. In fact, we are one of the very few states that our salary matches that of the Federal Government. This is no order than to attract the best hands in the healthcare delivery services.”

Commending the MTN Foundation over the initiative, Ibrahim, described the partnership with the company as second to none, following their supports to the government over the years through several heath initiatives such as free medical eye services including surgeries on several occasion, bringing up-to-date our maternity wards through the support of six health centres and provision of mobile clinics in order to bring healthcare services down to the grassroot, especially to the hard to reach areas as Niger State.

It will be recalled that the MTN Foundation has partnered with the Ministry of Health on multiple projects related to this cause. This includes the maternal ward support project, which has facilitated the innovation of 24 maternal wards across the country and the Y’ello doctor project, which has seen mobile clinics supporting the medical needs of mother and children commissioned in six states.

The post When Niger, MTN said no to infant, maternal mortality appeared first on Tribune.