The Federal Government of Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to partner the European Union (EU), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other relevant agencies in building a stronger and more equitable health system that leaves no woman, child or adolescent behind.
Prof. Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, stated this during the 4th European Union Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (EU-SARAH) Governance and Coordination Committee (GCC) meeting in Yola.
The minister, who was represented by Dr Ahmed Uzzi, urged all participants to take advantage of the engagement to assess the performance of the projects in the three pilot states and proffer solutions that would enhance better attention for the girl child and women.
He added that the Federal Government remained committed to working within a partnership that would improve and strengthen the health system and reduce maternal and newborn mortality, as well as improve the quality of life for millions of Nigerians.
“FG remains steadfast in its commitment in providing strategic leadership, strengthen health systems and creating enabling enviroment for sustainable development in reproductive, maternal, newborn child and adolesent health”.
The ministry will continue to work closely with state governments, development partners and implementing agencies to ensure that interventions under the EU-SARAH initiative deliver measurable impact, strengthen institutional capacity and contribute to the attainment of universal health coverage under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
In their various goodwill messages, the Commissioner of Health, Kwara State, Dr. Amina Ahmad, and the Commissioner of Health, Sokoto State, Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar, commended the EU-SARAH initiative, noting that the programme had been very successful in their states.
Chief of Health, UNICEF, Maharaj Muthu, expressed UNICEF’s continued support to ensure that health challenges are addressed, noting that statistics show Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate is reducing, and stressing that the EU-SARAH initiative is timely and effective but must be scaled up to further reduce the rate.
Also speaking, Deputy Country Representative of UNFPA, Koessan Francis Kuawu, said UNFPA would continue to support the EU-SARAH initiative and urged implementing agencies to ensure the initiative reaches the grassroots.
Declaring the two-day GCC meeting open, the Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta George, said the Adamawa State Government had always taken health issues very seriously and would continue to play its part to ensure the people live well.
The deputy governor, represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, thanked the development partners and implementing agencies for choosing Adamawa State as one of the pilot states, and for holding the 4th GCC meeting in the state.
The Governance and Coordination Committee meeting of the EU-SARAH Project was convened to review implementation progress and assess the impact of the project across Adamawa, Kwara and Sokoto States, in order to strengthen project delivery and ensure sustainable outcomes.
The meeting focused on reviewing the progress and impact of the EU-SARAH Project in Adamawa, Kwara and Sokoto States, and highlighted the partnership between the European Union and the Federal Government of Nigeria, as well as the Governments of Adamawa, Kwara and Sokoto States, in implementing the project.