By Celine-Damilola Oyewole

The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday in Kaduna, inaugurated the Free to Shine Campaign, an initiative of the Organisation of African First Ladies (OFLAD) aimed at eliminating HIV/AIDS, Syphilis and Hepatitis infections.

The campaign is an advocacy initiative led by the African Union (AU), OAFLAD, and global partners among women of representative age.

The campaign is also aimed at protecting children and women in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the campaign is to help address the growing complacency in the response to the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

The first lady said that Nigeria shared the highest HIV burden in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly among the youth, women, and children.

She attributed the development partly to the rise in population.

“To complement the Free to Shine Campaign, I have also decided to advocate for the Triple Elimination of HIV/AIDS, Syphilis, and Hepatitis by 2030.

“This campaign will cover the six geopolitical zones of the nation.

“We launched the maiden campaign for the North-Central Zone in Kwara State and today we are flagging off the campaign in Kaduna State for the North-West Zone. By the grace of God, the next zone to benefit will be the South-South.

“The campaign seeks to significantly reduce new HIV infections among women of reproductive age, prevent mother-to-child transmission (vertical transmission), and ensure that every child born with HIV receives the necessary treatment and support to thrive,” she said.

During her visit, Mrs Tinubu distributed professional medical kits to midwives across the states in the North West Zone of the country where she donated 50 million naira to support petty traders in the area.

The first lady, who was accompanied on the trip to Kaduna by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, was warmly received at the Kaduna Air Force Base by Gov. Uba Sani and other dignitaries such as traditional rulers and religious leaders.

In his remarks during the inauguration of the Free to Shine Campaign, Sani said that the state government would support Mrs Tinubu’s effort at uplifting the lives of Nigerian women by ensuring that the aim of the campaign is achieved in the state.

He also promised that the state’s Ministry of Health would ensure that more attention is accorded to sensitisation programmes and treatment of victims of the infections. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

By Folasade Akpan

Mr Michael McGovern, Chairman of Rotary International’s PolioPlus Committee, says the organisation allocates 150 million dollars annually towards polio eradication efforts in Nigeria.

McGovern made this announcement during a symbolic immunisation exercise at the Masaka Primary Healthcare Centre in Masaka, Nasarawa State, on Tuesday, where he led a delegation of Rotary officials.

He also said that Rotary had spent nearly three billion dollars on polio eradication activities globally over the years.

“It’s a lot of money, but we are happy to do it. We see the benefit; we see all the children who have not become disabled as a result of that.

“Twenty million children have not become disabled, and the biggest impression that everyone has to have here is to see the beautiful children and the importance of their health in receiving the necessary immunisations,” McGovern said.

McGovern emphasised that immunisation was a lifesaver, making a significant difference in children’s lives.

He urged citizens to support routine immunisations for diseases like measles and polio, noting that these vaccines help to build children’s immune systems and reduce the likelihood of contracting diseases.

“The government must have a strong programme of routine immunisation and continue providing polio drops to children throughout Nigeria,” he added.

Carol Pandak, Director of the Polio Plus Programme, commended local governments and frontline workers for their efforts in immunising children against polio and other diseases.

She also lauded mothers for bringing their children to receive vaccinations.

“I encourage every Nigerian community to prioritise immunising children against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

“That’s the most important thing you can do to protect them from polio and all sorts of other diseases,” she said.

Two mothers, Mrs Alheri Dogo and Mrs Ibrahim Gambo, shared their experiences, highlighting their commitment to ensuring their children received the necessary immunisations.

Both mothers commended Rotary’s efforts in protecting Nigerian children from polio and called for greater awareness about the importance of immunisation.

Poliomyelitis, commonly known as polio, is a highly infectious viral disease that mainly affects children under five years of age.

The disease spreads primarily through the faecal-oral route and can lead to paralysis by invading the nervous system.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, launched by the World Health Assembly in 1988, is a collaborative effort to eliminate polio worldwide.

It is led by national governments, the World Health Organisation, Rotary International, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, and Gavi. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

By Abujah Racheal

The recent withdrawal of USAID’s funding for family planning in Nigeria has sparked concerns among stakeholders, who warned that the country’s reproductive health system is at a crossroads.

The stakeholders raised this concern at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Population Institute of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday.

They said that for years, Nigeria had relied heavily on donor support to sustain its family planning programmes.

According to them, this has ensured that millions of women have access to contraceptives and reproductive health services. But that support is rapidly disappearing, leaving the country at a critical crossroads.

A panel discussion on the Impact of Cuts to Family Planning Funding and Its Implications for Nigeria, organised by the Development Research and Project Centre (dRPC), revealed the depth of concern over Nigeria’s reproductive healthcare.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the recent withdrawal of donor funding for family planning in Nigeria threatens to ripple through the entire healthcare system.

For years, international partners like USAID have shouldered the cost of contraceptive services, allowing millions of Nigerian women to access free family planning at public facilities.

But with the funding drying up, the burden is shifting to the private sector, where out-of-pocket expenses are expected to soar.

Dr Ejike Oji, Chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning in Nigeria, recounted how he recently received a letter confirming the worst fears of many in the sector.

“The letter, dated January 20, informed me that USAID would be halting its funding for a key family planning programme, pending a 90-day review,” Oji said.

According to him, this move follows a growing trend of international donors pulling out, citing Nigeria’s failure to deliver measurable progress despite years of investment.

“We were in a meeting years ago when a USAID official bluntly asked us, “Why should we keep funding you when we are not seeing results?”

“Now, they have finally decided to walk away,” he said.

He said that without donor support, contraceptive supplies would dwindle, leading to a surge in unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and increased maternal deaths.

He said that Nigeria’s reproductive health system, already fragile, could collapse under the strain, undoing years of progress.

“At the heart of the issue is Nigeria’s lack of financial commitment.

“After pledging three million dollars annually for family planning at the 2012 London Summit, the government increased it to four million dollars under Prof. Isaac Adewole as the minister of health.

“But since 2020, there have been no releases, leaving the sector in crisis,” he said.

Ijeoma Nwankwo, a Pharmacist and Senior Programme Officer for the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Foundation (PSNF), said that the impact would be most severe for underserved communities.

“Many Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) working in hard-to-reach areas depend on this funding to provide services.

“With donor cuts, those free services will either shrink or disappear entirely,” she said.

Nwankwo, a leading advocate in reproductive health, said that this shift was particularly troubling because over 60 per cent of Nigerian women already accessed family planning through private providers.

She said that about 80 per cent of Nigerians seek healthcare first in the private sector.

She cautioned that without adequate government support, the increased reliance on private providers could spell disaster.

“Can the private sector handle the increased demand without significant government intervention?

“Already, regulatory oversight is weak, and data from private facilities remains chaotic, making it difficult for policymakers to track service delivery or ensure quality care.

“If 80 per cent of Nigerians rely on private providers, and yet the government is not properly funding regulators like the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, what happens next?

“Are we leaving the healthcare of millions to chance?”

Nwankwo suggested integrating family planning into Nigeria’s health insurance schemes.

“Lagos State, with its relatively robust insurance programme (LASHMA), is already exploring ways to cover family planning services under its health insurance plan.

“If successful, this model could be replicated nationwide,” she said.

She also underscored the role of technology in bridging the gap.

“We need to harness digital solutions, whether by using drones to deliver contraceptives to remote areas or expanding online consultations through WhatsApp and websites,” she said.

Dr Stanley Ilechukwu, a Community Advocate, called for a strategic shift in investment by prioritising state and community-level funding over-reliance on federal allocations or international donors.

Ilechukwu said that investing at least one million Naira per Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) to strengthen its capacity to provide essential reproductive health services was a possible solution.

“This level of investment would go a long way in supporting PHCs to sustain family planning services,” he said.

For community-based organisations, he said that the focus should now shift away from federal-level advocacy.

He called for efforts to be centred on building resilience at lower levels of government, ensuring that states and local communities take ownership of their healthcare systems.

“The next five years should be about strengthening state and local funding structures.

“If we build this capacity now, we can gradually reduce dependence on international funding. Over time, we can sustain these interventions ourselves,” he said.

Dr Stanley Ukpai, Director of Projects at dRPC, called for a fundamental shift in strategy.

“Our advocacy messaging has to change. Now that we are in a crisis, we need bold and urgent solutions,” he said.

Ukpai said that the government must step up, through improved health financing, stronger regulatory frameworks, or leveraging technology to ensure that family planning services remain accessible.

He said that without immediate intervention, millions of Nigerian women may find themselves without the reproductive healthcare they need, further deepening the country’s maternal health crisis. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman