Dr Mairo Almakura with the Baby at the Bwari General Hospital, Abuja
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.
The Minister of women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen urged mother 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.
LAGOS STATE
In keeping with the tradition of presenting gifts to babies born in the early hours of the New Year in Lagos, the wife of the State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, visited three selected public hospitals on Saturday.
The Hospitals are Harvey Road Health Centre Yaba, Onikan Health Centre, both of which were recently upgraded into a General hospital as well as the Lagos Island Maternity.
Incidentally, the first babies at each of the three hospitals are all male, with Baby Ajila delivered at 12 am by Mrs Adeola Ajila at Onikan General Hospital weighing 2.5kg breasting the tape.
Baby Layembi, born at the Lagos Island Maternity, to the family of Qudus and Simbiat at ten minutes after 12 am weighing 3.1kg, clinched the prize at that hospital, while Baby Abdul-Ganiyu, born to the family of Luqman and Sukurat Abdul-Ganiyu weighing 2.2kg at fifteen seconds after midnight was the first at the Harvey Road General Hospital Yaba.
In a remark, Dr Sanwo-Olu encouraged all Lagosians to take the Covid19 vaccine, assuring them that it is safe and to also take advantage of the Lagos Health Insurance Scheme to ease unnecessary burden.
The Commissioner For Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, reiterated the State government’s commitment to reducing maternal and child mortality, announcing that many hospitals, including the one at Harvey road are being redesigned for optimal performance.
The Medical Directors of the Hospitals, expressed gratitude to the state Government for upgrading their infrastructure and like Oliver twist, solicited more support to enable them deliver qualitative health care services..
In an interview with Radio Nigeria, one of the new mothers, Mrs Adeola Ajila who described her pregnancy and delivery process as a miracle, said the baby came after she had miscarried six times.
“I had already lose hope and even said maybe I should put an end to giving birth, but God just did this miraculously, this pregnancy came unexpectedly, even yesterday, I didn’t know I would deliver, I was preparing to go for crossover night, and then, the baby came, with goodwill and joy, I received mercy from the Lord, God has already favoured me” she stated.
Mrs Adeola Ajila expressed appreciation to the State Government and others, who had been coming to bless her baby with gifts and prayed to God to bless all those looking for the fruit of the womb.
Reporting by Azizatu Sani & Omolara Omosanya; editing by Adeniyi Bakare