The Society for Family Health has teamed up with the Nasarawa State Government to address child and maternal deaths in all 13 local government areas of the state.
In February, the government introduced a plan on food and nutrition to address the high levels of child and maternal deaths in the state.
Mopelola Raje, the Deputy Team Lead of the Society for Family Health’s Delivering Innovation for Self Care project, expressed concern about many women in the state neglecting their health due to societal challenges.
Raje made this statement on Friday during the 2024 International Women’s Day celebration in the Karu Local Government Area of the state, with the theme ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’.
However, she encouraged women to be independent in order to have the necessary resources to take care of their health whenever needed.
She explained, “The Society for Family Health DISC project is focused on the various health issues that women in the country are facing, which is why we are here in Nasarawa State today (Friday) to educate them on how they can enhance their reproductive health and overall well-being.
“The purpose of self-care is to empower women to have more control over their sexual and reproductive health. It also enables them to make decisions about when they want to become pregnant.
“Self-care also helps to ease the burden on our healthcare facilities, reduce waiting times for patients, save on transportation costs, and decrease the workload for healthcare providers, among other benefits.”
Meanwhile, Salomi Aya, the representative of the state Ministry of Health, reassured the ministry’s dedication to continue supporting women in efforts to address child and maternal mortality in the state.
“I hope that beyond our current celebration, we are motivated to address the issues of child and maternal mortality, as well as other reproductive health concerns faced by women.
“The ministry is ready to provide full support to healthcare providers so that together, we can enhance women’s reproductive health and address other health issues that have caused them distress,” she stated.
