NCH wants Sultan to lead campaign against Maternal, Child deaths

Sultan Of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Saad III

Nigeria’s highest health body, the National Council on Health, NCH, wants the Sultan of Sokoto,  Ahaji Saad Abubakar III to lead campaign against maternal and child death during pregnancy and delivery.

Minister of Health and NCH Chairman, Prof Isaac Adewole, who made the plea while leading the 36 State Commissioners of Health on a visit to the Sultan during the 58^th Council Meeting said the implementation of Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria was non-negotiable.

Universal Health Coverage would ensure that every Nigerian irrespective of where she or he

Minister For Health, Professor Isaac Adewole

lives would access health without financial jeopardy.

 “One thing clear to us is your intervention in every health matters would produce dividend, we want to use your name, your office and your personality to drive our efforts to reduce maternal and new born death in Nigeria as you did on polio.”

“What we want is a situation where our women would survived when they carry babies in their wombs and also that the children they deliver should survive, no woman should die just because she wants to give birth and we believed that your words, your leadership in this initiative would help to convince people that a pregnant woman needs care in the hospital”,  Adewole said.

Further, the Minister remarked: “This is our humble request and we are sure that when you agree to take up the leadership we would be able to reduce maternal mortality in Nigeria which is close to what we have in war torn countries, like Afghanistan, Liberia, Sierra Leone.

“We do not deserve to be in this category, this is our humble request to your Eminence and we believe that you would grant our request, we believe that through you we would make a huge difference in this effort."

In his response, the Sultan called on the nation's leaders to provide affordable healthcare services to the people.  

“We want to have a hospital where I will be treated and discharge free, we want a clinic where a pregnant woman would go and when she comes out she is much better than when she went in”.

“ I have accepted the request of the Hon. Minister, it is our responsibility to work for our people  whatever we can do we must do it right,  always reach us on any programme you believed that traditional institutions would play their role, we are willing to do so”.

The Sultan also said: “Men must allow their wives to go to hospital if they really want them to be what they are, unless you are tired with your wife and even if you are tired, there are better ways to relief her, don’t kill your wife by refusing to allow her to go to hospital when she is pregnant “he warned.

He assured that maternal and child health would be part of the agenda during next Northern Traditional Council Committee on Primary Healthcare meeting.

“We would put it in the agenda, how to embark on sensitization across the villages on allowing our wives, sisters, mothers to go the hospitals when they are pregnant. We have done that on polio and we have succeeded, we are going to place it on our board nowthe fight against maternal and child mortality in Nigeria”.

The Sultan urged government at all levels to provide free antenatal care to attract the pregnant women to the hospital.