Tinubu’s health agenda targets end to preventable maternal deaths — Presidency

The Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Ibrahim Anas, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ending preventable maternal and child deaths through the full implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed health agenda.

Speaking at the Proposal and Scaling Workshop organised by the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health on Tuesday in Abuja, she said the initiative aligns with the government’s policy direction and demonstrates how strategic partnerships can strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system.

She said, “This is a timely initiative that fully aligns with the vision of the renewed health agenda under President Bola Tinubu.

“We are excited because it complements our national efforts to improve the wellbeing of women and children. For too long, our statistics on maternal and newborn health have not been encouraging, but under this administration, we are determined to change the story.”

She explained that the administration was committed to reducing deaths associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal complications through evidence-based interventions, improved access to primary healthcare, and collaboration with development partners.

“We invite all civil society groups, development partners and individuals to join hands with us. Rotary International’s project is a clear example of what partnership can achieve, especially as it scales up to reach more women and save more newborn lives,” he noted.

Ibrahim-Anas commended Rotary for expanding its maternal and child health project to 14 states across the six geopolitical zones, urging states to take ownership of such initiatives and provide enabling environments for their success.

“We are not expecting Rotary to replace government’s efforts,” he said. “Rather, it should demonstrate best practices that can be replicated across all states. Every sub-national government must invest in high-impact interventions that directly improve women and children’s health.”

The presidential adviser highlighted the administration’s focus on strengthening the primary healthcare system, decentralising decision-making to local governments, and encouraging community participation in health delivery.

“We are devolving power to the lowest level,” he stated. “The goal is to ensure that services are available and accessible. Communities must take ownership of healthcare programmes because the majority of those in need—women and children—are at that level.”

Dr. Anas identified persistent challenges such as inadequate funding, insecurity, and cultural barriers as factors affecting health outcomes, stressing the need for innovative solutions.

“Funding gaps will always exist, but the real question is how effectively we use available resources,” he explained. “Security challenges in parts of the country, particularly the North, have restricted access to care, while cultural practices still discourage some women from seeking medical help.”

He revealed that the government was working with private sector partners to boost investment in healthcare and promote local production of essential drugs.

“Government alone cannot do it. We are encouraging private sector investment in primary healthcare and supporting local manufacturing of life-saving medicines such as oxytocin, to ensure availability and affordability.”

While commending Rotary International’s contribution to Nigeria’s health sector, she said the Federal Government would continue to support efforts that align with its universal health coverage (UHC) goals.

“Rotary has shown through its work that partnerships can create lasting impact. Your approach to building local capacity and institutionalising programmes guarantees sustainability and long-term results.”

She reaffirmed President Tinubu’s resolve to build a stronger, inclusive, and equitable healthcare system for all Nigerians.

“The renewed health agenda provides both the policy direction and financial commitment to transform maternal and child health in Nigeria. Together for a healthy family is not just a slogan—it is a national goal we are determined to achieve.” She added.

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health (RMCH), Professor Adedolapo Emmanuel Lufadeju, said the Rotary is scaling up its flagship intervention — the Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria programme — to all six geopolitical zones, following its impressive outcomes in pilot states.

According to him, “We want to scale up our ongoing programme, which is a programme of scale of the Rochi Foundation called Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria. We are currently working in four locations — Nasarawa, Gombe, Ekiti, and the FCT — and because of the excellent implementation and execution of the programme, we are now scaling to other parts of the country,” he said.

Professor Lufadeju explained that the expansion is aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery systems and reducing maternal and child deaths across Nigeria. “The idea is to improve healthcare delivery in the states where we are working, to ensure that maternal deaths are reduced, child deaths are reduced, pregnant women attend antenatal clinics, deliver safely in health facilities, and also return for postnatal care,” he stated.

Speaking further on the success of the programme, the Coordinator noted its model-based approach. “At the moment, the programme has several models, and one of the most important is the public engagement model. This involves community dialogues, medical outreaches, and home visits to hard-to-reach places. These are activities that we have templates for — we have perfected the procedures — and now we want to replicate them across other parts of the country so that more communities can benefit,” he said.

Professor Lufadeju also explained the importance of data in driving interventions, particularly through the group’s robust monitoring framework.

“We have a strong data collection system under the Maternal, Perinatal, and Child Death Surveillance and Response (MPCDSR), which essentially functions as a death audit mechanism.

“It helps us track how many women are dying from pregnancy-related complications. We can now identify and tag these cases electronically, ensuring maternal deaths are no longer issues hidden under the carpet but openly recognized and addressed,” he explained.

On the criteria for selecting new states for the scale-up, Lufadeju made it clear that the process is evidence-driven. “We have about four or five criteria for selecting the states we are expanding to. One is the maternal and child death burden in each state. We also consider security and accessibility, particularly in terms of transportation,” he said.

He added that states demonstrating strong political commitment and active community participation were prioritized. “We look at how states have performed in our previous engagements, those that have shown political will to support the system and drive change. We also assess the responsiveness of beneficiaries to our interventions. All these factors guided our decision in selecting the new locations for expansion,” he said.

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