Minister commends Coca Cola Nigerias Safe Birth Initiative
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by vivian ihechu3 the official launch of the safe birth initiative and inauguration of the first set of sbi equipment in the country would be performed by the minister of health prof. isaac adewole at the national hospital in abuja next week1 adewole represented by dr adedamola dada chief medical director federal medical centre fmc ebutte-meta lagos said this at a stakeholders workshop on saturday in lagos with theme enabling safe birth in nigeria1 the event was organised by the sbi sponsored by coca-cola in partnership with the federal ministry of health the office of the senior special assistant to the president on sustainable development goals and an ngo medshare international inc1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that according to the national demography and health survey ndhs 2013 nigeria loses as many as 576 women per 100000 childbirths1 also the country records 37 newborn deaths per 1000 live births placing the country among the worst ratios for both maternal and newborn deaths globally1 consequently the safe birth initiative aims to support the attainment of the sdg targets on maternal and newborn deaths reduction1 it focuses on strengthening the capacity of selected public hospitals through procurement of vital maternal and neonatal medical equipment and supplies1 it also focuses on training biomedical engineering technicians to improve equipment maintenance and uptime and reactivating a large stock of abandoned medical equipment wasting away in public hospitals1 adewole said we have always believed that our healthcare would improve with active collaboration and partnership from the private sector1 the safe birth initiative is a good example of such a partnership1 meticulous planning and identification of the needs of the beneficiary hospitals have been carried out with active involvement of partners and beneficiaries1 we commend our partners on this programme coca-cola the sdg office medshare international and the engineering world health and use this opportunity to call on other private sector players to join us in this battle to free our nation from diseases and major challenges in maternal and childhood health he said1 also the senior special assistant to the president on sdgs princess adejoke orelope-adefulire said that the coca-cola safe birth initiative is working toward the third sustainable development goal health and wellbeing for all including our mothers and our children1 orelope-adefulire represented by dr bala yusuf said this partnership is a classic example of what we can do when we combine our expertise and resources in support of the 2030 sdg agenda1 we hope this event will strengthen our resolve to continue to work together as policy makers development practitioners academics but more importantly as concerned citizens in support of the 2030 agenda of the sustainable development goals she said1 the minister of health prof. isaac adewole has commended coca cola nigerias safe birth initiative sbi saying it is a laudable project toward achieving reduction in the countrys high maternal mortality indices1 according to him in addition to completing the first batch of the biomedical engineering technicians training the consignment of equipment and supplies required for the national hospital abuja has been fully delivered1 the consignments for federal medical centres in ebute-metta and owerri and general hospital alimosho lagos are scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks1 the needs assessments are ongoing at six other approved hospitals to determine their specific needs he said1 ugorji said that coca-colas commitment goes beyond donating equipment1 through the sbi the company hopes to promote effective maintenance culture by empowering biomedical engineering technicians with the knowledge skills tools and confidence to take responsibility for ensuring maximum uptime for the new equipment1 it also aims to empower them on reactivation of abandoned biomedical equipment in the target hospitals1 there is a limit to what our doctors and nurses can do with just their skills and passion in the absence of the vital life-saving equipment required for effective diagnosis testing and treatment ugorji said1 nan reports that the workshop also marked the completion of the maiden sbi capacity training for 20 biomedical engineering technicians from 10 leading medical institutions across the country1 the institutions comprise university hospitals federal medical centres and general hospitals1 the two-week training was conducted by us-based engineering world health ewh at the school of biomedical engineering lagos university teaching hospital1 the workshop also had a panel discussion session that shed light on the challenges of maternal and newborn healthcare in the country the national sdg targets on maternal and child health1 it also discussed the measures government is taking to meet these targets as well as how the sbi will support these measures1 the discussants included prof. chinyere ezeaka past president nigerian society of neonatal medicine dada bala and ugorji1 others present were adesuwa onyenokwe editor todays woman prof. carmen walker chief operating officer nigeria bmet programme engineering world health and mr eben amstrong director of biomedical engineering training and technical service medshare international1 in his remarks mr clem ugorji the public affairs and communications director for coca-cola west africa shared highlights of the sbi rationale and implementation plan1

Nestle Nigeria partners DAME, NUJ on Nutrition Reporting
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by vivian ihechu3 it manufactures and markets a range of high quality brands including nestle pure life golden morn maggi cerelac and nescafe1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the aim of the partnership endorsed by the nigeria union of journalists. nuj is to empower media professionals in the area of nutrition and health reporting1 it will also recognise reward and celebrate excellence among nutrition and health writers1 the dame is the only award scheme in nigeria that covers the media disciplines of journalism broadcasting and advertising1 founded upon the ideals that the media is the watchdog of the society as well as the fourth estate of the realm dame exists to celebrate and reward superior performance in the fulfilment of such pivotal roles1 the sponsorship of a nestl prize for nutrition reporting in dame is another step in nestl nigerias continuous collaboration with stakeholders and partners to provide adequate research-based information to help people make healthier food choices1 nestl recognises the key role the media has to play in achieving this objective1 signing the mou at its headquarter in lagos the company explained that it had instituted the prize in collaboration with dame to empower media professionals in nutrition and health reporting1 the companys managing director mr mauricio alarcon said that it was important to create sustained awareness to improve health indices in the face of the current challenges associated with the triple burden of nutrition undernutrition over-nutrition and micro-nutrient deficiency in nigeria1 alarcon said that that the company was committed to promoting healthy nutrition habits1 nestle believes that promoting healthy nutrition habits as well as improving access to nutritious food will have a positive impact on nigerias health profile1 we strongly believe that when provided with adequate information and training the media plays a key role in raising awareness of key nutrition health and wellness issues among stakeholders and the public1 nestl nigeria on thursday signed a memorandum of understanding mou with diamond awards for media excellence dame trust fund to institute a nestl prize for nutrition reporting1 we are confident that this partnership will provide a good platform to equip journalists with training and capacity building opportunities to help them perform at optimal capacity alarcon said1 the trustee of dame mr lanre idowu said we are very happy to havenestle prize for nutrition reporting on the list of categories for the 27th edition of the prestigious media wards1 this will encourage and give the much needed attention and recognition to exceptional nutrition writers and stimulate interest in nutrition writing idowu said1 the chairman nuj lagos state council dr qasim akinreti commended nestl nigeria for sponsoring the nutrition category to fill the gap in that area1 we appreciate nestl nigeria for this collaboration ina nestle prize for nutrition reporting1 this award will not only motivate our members but willalso help us to work toward achieving the sustainable development goals which includes health he said1 also mrs victoria uwadoka corporate communications and public affairs ccpa manager of nestle said that the company was committed to enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future by working with partners to empower individuals to make healthier food choices1 according to her the nestle prize for nutrition would help to achieve the commitment by training and building the capacity of media practitioners in the field1 contributing mrs chioma emma-nwachukwu manager nestle nutrition institute africa said the prize was being put in place not only to promote excellence in nutrition reporting but also improve nutrition knowledge attitude and practices among nigerians1 the mou signing was witnessed by the members of executive of the nigeria union of journalists nuj and trustee of dame1 nestle nigeria plc begam simple trading operations in nigeria in 1961 and has today grown into a leading food manufacturing and marketing company1 it is the biggest food company in west africa employing about 2200 people and has three world-class factories1 armed with fact-based information individuals and families are empowered to make healthier nutrition choices1

How to curb unintended pregnancies, maternal deaths via contraception
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by vivian ihechu3 also the risks of sexually transmitted infections especially hiv will be reduced1 also family planning has also been proven as an assured way of preventing unwanted pregnancies abortions and most of all maternal deaths1 the wcd brings to mind the need to continually improve awareness of all contraceptive methods available and enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health1 the annual worldwide campaign envisions where every pregnancy is wanted and the barriers that prevent young people from using sexual health services must be dissolved1 contraception or birth control is a device or drug designed to prevent the process of pregnancy after unprotected sex1 there are different kinds of contraception that act at different points in the process from ovulation through fertilisation to implantation even though each method has its own side effects and risks1 at a family planning summit in london on july 11 2017 the government of nigeria in collaboration with its partners and private sector pledged to achieve a modern contraceptive rate of 27 per cent among all women by 20201 contraceptive prevalence rate cpr provides a measure of population coverage of contraceptive use taking into account all sources of supply and all contraceptive methods it is the most widely reported measure of outcome for family planning programmes at the population level1 the federal government also made several other commitments including to increase its annual allocation for contraceptives to 4 million dollars ensuring total disbursement of 56 million dollars to the states through its global financing facility and international development association ida world bank loans1 the federal government promised to initiate curriculum and youth-friendly services in health facilities and other outlets collaborating with line ministries to ensure the provision of age-appropriate sexual reproductive health srh information to youth through the family life health education1 also it pledged to improve access to family planning services in difficult-to-reach areas and among disadvantaged populations foster positive attitudes about planning families and work to reduce socio-cultural barriers to use of family planning services1 however experts and stakeholders still decry the countrys low cpr diverse barriers to accessing it and lament the consequences1 according to them lack of access to and information on contraception leads to unplanned pregnancies unwanted children abortions high rate of school dropout depression and maternal deaths1 dr essien ukoh a gynaecologist and family planning expert said nigeria in particular remains a focus for increasing contraceptive use as it is one of the most populous countries in sub-saharan africa1 nigeria has a high total fertility rate tfr estimated to be between 5.5 and 5.7 for women of reproductive age 1549. low rates of contraceptive use are also pervasive in nigeria1 approximately 15 per cent of married women report using contraceptives and 16 per cent report an unmet need for family planning services according to the demographic and health survey ndhs 20131 rates of contraception in nigeria have stagnated remaining approximately 9 per cent between 2008 and 2013 he said1 a study contraceptive practices in nigeria literature review and recommendation for future policy decisions by emmanuel monjok andrea smesny john e ekabua and james essien also noted that the cpr for contraceptive use in nigeria was low1 this rate is very low in spite of the high rate of sexual activity and widespread awareness of the various contraceptive methods among nigerian adolescents and youths1 as a result there are many unintended pregnancies and illegal abortions contributing to a high maternal mortality ratio which seems to indicate a large unmet need for contraceptive use1 research evidence identify the various factors that contribute to the low prevalence of modern contraceptive use in nigeria with the most common factor being the myth about the side effects of modern contraceptives1 however what is lacking is the political will in nigeria to provide family planning programmes on a much larger scale using community-oriented approaches and communication programmes to help change the myth about the side effects of modern contraceptives the study says1 as the world contraception day wcd is observed on wednesday september 26 critical health issues such as maternal deaths preventing an imminent population explosion and achieving sustainable development goals sdgs will come to fore1 the study also showed that in nigeria unintended intercourse was the primary cause of unwanted pregnancies and many women with unwanted pregnancies decide to end them by abortion1 the consequences of these abortions are grave and can be life-threatening often leading to maternal death1 abortions account for 20 percent to 40 percent of maternal deaths in nigeria the study said1 also public health scientist mrs suzanne bell said the abortion rate by women of reproductive age in nigeria had risen between 1.8 and 2.7 million1 the rise isas a result of unintended pregnancies and majority of these abortions are considered unsafe hence the need for increased awareness and access to family planning to protect the lives of women1 a performance monitoring and accountability pma 2020 survey in 2018 showed that in 2017 the annual incidence of likely abortions in nigeria was 41.8 per cent per 1000 women aged 15 to 49 which is nearly 1.8 million abortions1 when including information related to the experience of respondents closest confidants the rate of likely abortions in nigeria rose to 2.7 million she said1 according to bell women living in rural areas women with no education and women who are poor were the most likely to have had the least safe abortion1 dr morenike ukpong the coordinator of new hiv vaccine and microbicide advocacy society nhvmas advised government to develop policies and guidelines that will promote access to contraception by adolescents in the country1 female adolescents are more at risk of having unintended pregnancies and unwanted births that can lead to postpartum depression feelings of powerlessness and reduction in overall physical health1 as it is contraception access and its promotion in nigeria is limited to married women1 its association with family planning makes the public community and health care providers think of contraception for use only among couples who are thinking of spacing children1 while there are clear guidelines and programmes that promote access of women to contraception there are conflicting guidelines on access and programmes for sexually active adolescents to contraception she said1 mrs funke gbadamosi a mother of four who resides in lagos told the news agency of nigeria nan that though she is married she did not use any form of contraceptive1 i have heard of many side effects and that discourages me perhaps one day i will be convinced to use a method she said1 dr omasanjuwa edun the lagos state team leader nurhi 2 advocates educating youths and adolescents on the knowledge of contraception as adolescent pregnancy had become a daunting problem in nigeria1 studies have shown the prevalence of unintended pregnancy among adolescents to be 23 per cent in the west 36 per cent in the south and 26 per cent in the north-central1 the inability of adolescents to access not just contraceptives but the necessary information when needed has also been found to be responsible for the unintended pregnancies in adolescents1 this often results in unsafe abortions edun told nan1 summarily access and use of effective contraception provides both health and social benefits1 experts have said that the benefits of contraception use are important and should be promoted because it reduces unintended pregnancies complications of illegally induced abortion with its dire consequences and school drop-out1 according to the study other barriers to using a contraception method include lack of awareness lack of access cultural factors religion and opposition to use by partners or family members1