Nigeria’s First Lady Emphasizes Need To Encourage Health Workers

Wife of the Nigeria’s president, Oluremi Tinubu, has emphasized the need to prioritize various health interventions that will reduce maternal and child mortality across Nigeria.

Mrs Tinubu made this call in Jalingo, Taraba state during the launch of the distribution of 10,000 professional kits to midwives in the North/East Zone, facilitated by her NGO, Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).

She noted that frontline health workers must be encouraged through provision of incentives and recognition of their efforts.

“When properly supported, we believe maternal and infant mortality rates will decline significantly”

“We are also raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, especially mother-to-child transmission, which remains high” she said.

Mrs Tinubu also handed over a N50 million cheque to the wife of the governor, Mrs Agyin Kefas, to support the empowerment of 1,000 women petty traders in the state.

She said that the 10,000 professional kits, meant for midwives across the six North-East states, would be distributed through the State Primary Healthcare Services.

She further assured that RHI would continue distributing the kits to other regions, with the South-West Zone next in line.

The Coordinating Minister of Health, Professor Ali Pate, who also addressed the gathering, emphasized that Federal Government remain committed to improving frontline healthcare.

“In the North-East alone, 8,500 frontline health workers have been trained, including 1,300 from Taraba”

“More than 1,000 health facilities receive quarterly funding from the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, including 170 in Taraba,” he said.

The State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas and his wife expressed gratitude to Mrs. Tinubu for her interventions, affirming that the initiatives aligned with the state’s development priorities.