First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has restated the Federal Government’s resolve to curb maternal and child mortality through strategic health interventions across the country.
Speaking during an engagement with traditional rulers in Jalingo, Taraba State, Tinubu emphasised the critical role of grassroots support in tackling health issues affecting women and children.
She urged monarchs to support the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Initiative by sensitising their communities to the availability of free healthcare services, including treatments for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
“We are here to encourage our frontline health workers by providing them with incentives and recognising the great job they are doing,” she said.
“We believe that if they are well-supported, the rate of maternal and infant mortality will reduce significantly. We are also raising awareness about HIV/AIDS because the rate of mother-to-child transmission remains high.”
According to her, traditional institutions remain vital to the success of these interventions, especially in rural areas where they wield influence.
Also speaking, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said over 8,500 frontline health workers had been trained in the North-East alone, including 1,300 from Taraba.
He added that more than 1,000 health facilities in the region receive quarterly disbursements from the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, with 170 of them located in Taraba State.
“These are direct efforts by the Federal Government to ensure that resources reach the frontlines where services are delivered,” he said.
Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba and his wife, Agyin Kefas, in separate remarks, commended the First Lady for her visit and the support extended to the state under the Renewed Hope Initiative.
During the visit, Mrs. Tinubu presented 10,000 professional kits to midwives across the six North-East states and handed over a cheque of N50 million to empower 1,000 women in Taraba.
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