Writing by Abdullahi Shettima; Editing by Abubakar Hamza.
Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN) has called on Female Doctors across the Country to embrace technology and actively participate in politics in order to amplify Women’s voices in governance and health leadership.
The Association made the call in a communiqué issued at the end of its 24th Biennial Conference and Scientific Meeting held from September 1 to 3, 2025, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Murtala Square, Kaduna.
The event attracted over 500 registered participants from all six geopolitical zones, with both physical and virtual attendance.
At the Conference a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and discussions on issues affecting women and children’s health was provided, with the theme “Transformative Leadership, Ethics, and Global Health in a Changing World,”
MWAN urged members to become more IT-savvy, pursue leadership positions at all levels, and contribute to positive change in the political space.
It also stressed the need for stronger mentorship within the profession, as well as the acquisition of non-medical skills to help cushion the effects of socio-economic challenges.
The communiqué further emphasized the need to address barriers to vaccine uptake to ensure the successful roll-out of measles/rubella and HPV vaccines, while also recommending multi-disciplinary strategies to tackle gender-based violence, improve nutrition for mothers and children, and strengthen government ownership of the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) framework.
MWAN encouraged greater male involvement in reproductive health and childcare strategies and urged ministries to leverage technology to drive effective leadership in health.
As part of its outreach during the conference, the association disclosed that it conducted over 1,200 consultations, dispensed more than 1,300 medications, carried out 35 obstetric scans, 80 cervical cancer screenings, 30 cataract surgeries, and nine minor surgeries.
In addition, it distributed 327 pairs of eyeglasses, over 200 packs of nutritional supplements to children, and referred 20 patients for further treatment.
Abdullahi Shettima.
