The first lady, Dr Aisha Buhari has called on expectant mothers to regularly attend prenatal and postnatal care clinics to reduce the rate of maternal and child mortality In the country.
She made the call while receiving the first baby of the year 2022 at the Bwari General Hospital, Abuja.
Dr Aisha Buhari represented by the Senior Special Assistant on Africa’s First Ladies peace Mission, Dr Mairo Almakura said hospital delivery and post natal care were fundamental in ensuring the safety of mothers and their children.
She urged mothers to maintain basic hygiene, space their children and register their children at birth with the National Population Commission to aid adequate planning of interventions by government.
“Available report indicates that Nigeria’s maternal mortality account for 59 thousand deaths of women annually. It further states that Nigeria women are 500 times more likely to lose their lives in child birth when compared to most advanced nations of the world”. Dr Aisha Buhari stated.
World Health Organization says, about 830 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.
Records also revealed that In Nigeria, about 262 thousand babies die at birth each year.
Also speaking, Minister of women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen urged mothers to feed on nutritious food and observe exclusive breastfeeding for effective child development.
The Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr Abdullahi Alate said the baby boy weighed 4.1kg and was delivered at exactly 12am through cesarean section,
The parent of the baby boy, Mr and Mrs Bemi expressed appreciation for the gesture and recognition and said they intended to name the first baby of the year “Destiny”.
Highlights of the event was the distribution of hamper gift items to other mothers and their babies in other hospitals and health centres in the FCT.
RN