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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Health & Science

Niger First Lady advocates reduced maternal deaths

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The First Lady of Niger State, Hajia Fatima Bago, stressed that regular healthcare visits can prevent needless maternal and newborn deaths.
  • She urged women and community leaders to become advocates for primary healthcare, emphasizing it as a shared responsibility.
  • The state government, in partnership with international organizations, is working to strengthen healthcare facilities and improve access to essential services for mothers and children.

Hajia Fatima Bago, the First Lady of Niger State, has emphasized that preventable deaths of mothers and babies can be averted through consistent engagement with healthcare facilities. She made this statement during the launch of the 2026 Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week in Tafa Local Government Area.

Healthcare is a shared responsibility. The government can not do it alone. We all have a role to play in ensuring that mothers and children receive the care they deserve.

— Hajia Fatima Bago (First Lady of Niger State)Emphasizing community involvement in healthcare.

Mrs. Bago highlighted the government's efforts in establishing quality healthcare centers across the state, which are increasing access for women and children. She underscored that healthcare is a collective effort, urging all citizens to play a role in ensuring mothers and children receive necessary care. She specifically called on wives of local government chairmen, female political leaders, women's groups, traditional rulers, and religious leaders to support awareness campaigns and mobilization initiatives.

While I call on nursing mothers and pregnant women to visit health centres regularly, I urge all of us to become advocates and ambassadors of primary healthcare within our communities.

— Hajia Fatima Bago (First Lady of Niger State)Encouraging proactive health-seeking behavior and advocacy.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Murtala Bagana, affirmed the state government's commitment to improving maternal and child health, stating their determination to strengthen healthcare delivery and expand access to essential services. The Executive Director of the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Junaidu Inuwa, explained that the campaign aims to extend healthcare benefits to all communities.

We are determined to strengthen healthcare delivery, expand access to essential services and improve the quality of life of our people.

— Dr. Murtala Bagana (Commissioner for Health)Stating the state government's health objectives.

International partners, including the World Health Organization and UNICEF, lauded Niger State's strategic interventions. Dr. Gerida Birukila, Chief of UNICEF's Kaduna Field Office, pledged continued collaboration to build resilient medical facilities and ensure that "every mother survives and every child thrives" in Niger State.

Together we can build a healthier, stronger, and more resilient Niger State where every mother survives and every child thrives.

— Dr. Gerida Birukila (Chief of Kaduna Field Office of UNICEF, Nigeria)Expressing commitment to improving maternal and child well-being.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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