Dear All,
Thank you very much Nura for bringing this up at this crucial time of our existence in Nigeria. You have surely touched on something very dear to my heart!
I am so glad to see that the issue of Maternal Health and Infant Mortality is beginning to be at the forefront of issues initiated, discussed and debated by men and women alike. It is alarming and unfortunate that Nigeria and Northern Nigeria in particular is ranked to be doing woefully in the preservation of the life of our WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
The causes of Maternal Morbidity and Infant Mortality are very clear, and they are simply related to lack of or inadequate access to proper medical care. 92% percent of maternal and infant death is caused by lack of access to medical facilities. Access to medical care does not include a large building infested by cobwebs cockroaches and rodents. It means a well equipped emergency facility with well trained medical personnel, it means a clean building with adequate in patient and out patient facilities, it means ambulance services, it means a hospital/health care center travel of less than 20km within every local Government areas of every state of the Federation, it also means capacity building for Traditional birth attendance, it means Girl Child education and empowerment, it means Primary health care centers within communities. It simply means holistic and sustainable health care intervention in our communities.
We are all in agreement that Govt has a responsibility to provide access to medical care to all its citizens and most specifically to WOMEN AND CHILDREN. It is actually a fundamental Human Right of Nigerians; however this and so many other social responsibilities have been ignored with impunity and total disregard to our Divine RIGHTS. We have come to a time when individuals and communities must work together actively, effectively and sustainably to move this agenda forward by making noise, I believe it is the only way our Government will hear this and all the yearnings of its people. We have no choice but to radicalize our approach to ensure that our Govt and Policy makers give us what we deserve or they continue to cart away our resources to take their families and loved ones out of the country for minor hiccups and rashes(true).
To the Northern Governors, chairmen, Representatives and other policy makers celebrating their weddings and getting ready for overseas childbirth(s), Allah is watching all of you! They should bear in mind that for every child/mother that dies as a result of their disregard to the duties, The Almighty will surely ask them on the day of reckoning! Well most of them rigged and committed all kinds of atrocities to get there anyway so what do we expect?
Nigerians made a lot of noise when we collectively killed the third term agenda in 2005, the world heard us, and it was a determination shared by all alike. Sometimes I wonder if we can implore that kind of fire and determination for all our aspirations to make Nigeria a better place for us and those yet unborn. THE PEOPLE spoke so loud to throw out the third term bid, so why can't the same people do the same this time? Could it be that MH/IM and other social issues are not as serious as third term?(remember the idea of debating term issues is surely about Leadership and Leadership here is about making the lives of all Nigerians better) Is it that issues of Nigerian women and children is unable to raise hell loose?
We must demand an end to this unnecessary waste to human lives. The statistics are unacceptable. In this modern age when countries have long eradicated the menace of MH/IM 100s of years ago and most have considerably reduced its occurrence significantly. Nigeria has the resources, man power (mostly in the Diaspora) and skills to take care of its women and children.
Putting issues of women and children at the fore front of National programs will by no doubt expedite the development of Nigeria, because access to medical care will bring about an improvement to almost all spheres of our daily lives. In giving access to medical care you take care of various other needs in our communities. like good roads, electricity, clean water, education especially that of the girl child, Bringing back home our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora, trained medical personnel and of course a strong and healthy nation.
So Malam Murtala, agreed CORRUPTION has eaten up the very fabric of our existence but we cannot sit back and watch these hyenas continue to disrespect our humanity and making a fool of us. We must all get active in the governance of our Country bearing in mind that we disassociate ourselves with the dirty 'Bull dogs'.
There are several NGOs; pressure groups etc working on different themes all geared towards developing MOTHER NIGERIA, but all there efforts are looking more and more futile. I guess what we have to start doing now is networking effectively, getting together like minds to form a coalition (for lack of a better word) to get down to practical solutions. Enough about Seminars/conferences/round tables/workshops etc. Let’s get down to basics and stop doing grammar.
Get involved in your Local Govt; find out what these Chairmen are doing there. It has to start from down up!
Let me know your thoughts on how to loud this agenda.
Sa'ida Sa'ad
0803 7876939
Thank you very much Nura for bringing this up at this crucial time of our existence in Nigeria. You have surely touched on something very dear to my heart!
I am so glad to see that the issue of Maternal Health and Infant Mortality is beginning to be at the forefront of issues initiated, discussed and debated by men and women alike. It is alarming and unfortunate that Nigeria and Northern Nigeria in particular is ranked to be doing woefully in the preservation of the life of our WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
The causes of Maternal Morbidity and Infant Mortality are very clear, and they are simply related to lack of or inadequate access to proper medical care. 92% percent of maternal and infant death is caused by lack of access to medical facilities. Access to medical care does not include a large building infested by cobwebs cockroaches and rodents. It means a well equipped emergency facility with well trained medical personnel, it means a clean building with adequate in patient and out patient facilities, it means ambulance services, it means a hospital/health care center travel of less than 20km within every local Government areas of every state of the Federation, it also means capacity building for Traditional birth attendance, it means Girl Child education and empowerment, it means Primary health care centers within communities. It simply means holistic and sustainable health care intervention in our communities.
We are all in agreement that Govt has a responsibility to provide access to medical care to all its citizens and most specifically to WOMEN AND CHILDREN. It is actually a fundamental Human Right of Nigerians; however this and so many other social responsibilities have been ignored with impunity and total disregard to our Divine RIGHTS. We have come to a time when individuals and communities must work together actively, effectively and sustainably to move this agenda forward by making noise, I believe it is the only way our Government will hear this and all the yearnings of its people. We have no choice but to radicalize our approach to ensure that our Govt and Policy makers give us what we deserve or they continue to cart away our resources to take their families and loved ones out of the country for minor hiccups and rashes(true).
To the Northern Governors, chairmen, Representatives and other policy makers celebrating their weddings and getting ready for overseas childbirth(s), Allah is watching all of you! They should bear in mind that for every child/mother that dies as a result of their disregard to the duties, The Almighty will surely ask them on the day of reckoning! Well most of them rigged and committed all kinds of atrocities to get there anyway so what do we expect?
Nigerians made a lot of noise when we collectively killed the third term agenda in 2005, the world heard us, and it was a determination shared by all alike. Sometimes I wonder if we can implore that kind of fire and determination for all our aspirations to make Nigeria a better place for us and those yet unborn. THE PEOPLE spoke so loud to throw out the third term bid, so why can't the same people do the same this time? Could it be that MH/IM and other social issues are not as serious as third term?(remember the idea of debating term issues is surely about Leadership and Leadership here is about making the lives of all Nigerians better) Is it that issues of Nigerian women and children is unable to raise hell loose?
We must demand an end to this unnecessary waste to human lives. The statistics are unacceptable. In this modern age when countries have long eradicated the menace of MH/IM 100s of years ago and most have considerably reduced its occurrence significantly. Nigeria has the resources, man power (mostly in the Diaspora) and skills to take care of its women and children.
Putting issues of women and children at the fore front of National programs will by no doubt expedite the development of Nigeria, because access to medical care will bring about an improvement to almost all spheres of our daily lives. In giving access to medical care you take care of various other needs in our communities. like good roads, electricity, clean water, education especially that of the girl child, Bringing back home our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora, trained medical personnel and of course a strong and healthy nation.
So Malam Murtala, agreed CORRUPTION has eaten up the very fabric of our existence but we cannot sit back and watch these hyenas continue to disrespect our humanity and making a fool of us. We must all get active in the governance of our Country bearing in mind that we disassociate ourselves with the dirty 'Bull dogs'.
There are several NGOs; pressure groups etc working on different themes all geared towards developing MOTHER NIGERIA, but all there efforts are looking more and more futile. I guess what we have to start doing now is networking effectively, getting together like minds to form a coalition (for lack of a better word) to get down to practical solutions. Enough about Seminars/conferences/round tables/workshops etc. Let’s get down to basics and stop doing grammar.
Get involved in your Local Govt; find out what these Chairmen are doing there. It has to start from down up!
Let me know your thoughts on how to loud this agenda.
Sa'ida Sa'ad
0803 7876939
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