News - News Agency Of Nigeria

Gates Foundation calls for investment in women’s health (Page 2,088)

By Oluwafunke Ishola

Melinda French-Gates, Co-chair, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, says investing in women’s healthcare, particularly in high quality, affordable, equitable healthcare is a sure way to build a better future we all imagine.

French-Gates said this during the 2023 Goalkeepers Conference held on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York.

According to her, there is a widening health gap and declining prospects for women globally.

“Maternal mortality is highly preventable, but sadly 800 women die from childbirth daily.

“Statistically, the day a woman gives birth is the most likely day she is to die.

“For every woman who loses their lives in childbirth, 30 more faces long-term consequences- heart failure, stroke, economic consequences, missed pay cheques, lost businesses,” she said.

She noted that most common causes of maternal death like postpartum hemorrhage and infections were often treatable, however, access to treatments depend on the woman’s location.

“Women in two regions of the world, Africa and South-East Asia bear a large number of these burdens accounting for 90 per cent of the maternal deaths.

“That’s more than 250,000 women dying every single year. It’s enough to fill a World Cup stadium four times over.

“Improving maternal health also means improving infant health and survival. It means stronger families, more vibrant communities, and more prosperous societies,” she said.

French-Gates noted that the disparities affecting women’s health were not limited to maternal mortality but also reflected in other issues from HIV/AIDS to healthcare screening.

She said that some researchers supported by the foundation had developed innovations that would reshape maternal health, calling for support to scale the innovations.

Similarly, Bill Gates, Co-chair, Gates Foundation, noted that the work should invest more in humanely driven interventions such as saving mothers, despite political differences.

Gates said that the world had advanced in its understanding of how to save the most fragile lives, noting that with collaboration the knowledge could translate into tangible progress.

Also, Dr Hadiza Galadanci, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Health Sciences, Bayero University Kano, said that data had shown that Nigeria has the highest maternal deaths globally.

Galadanci said that there was a critical flaw in the way postpartum hemorrhage, (a leading cause of maternal death) was diagnosed.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) means losing more than half a litre of blood within 24 hours of childbirth, affecting 14 million women yearly, and causing the death of over 70,000 in low-income countries.

Galadanci said, “When PPH is identified, doctors, nurses, and midwives have long relied on a series of five treatments to stop the bleeding: uterine massage, oxytocic drugs, tranexamic acid, IV fluids, and genital-tract examination.

“But those interventions were being delivered sequentially—and far too slowly.

“We asked ourselves, why don’t we bundle the interventions together, administering all five at once. We tried it and we decreased cases of bleeding by 60 per cent.”

She noted that scaling the innovation to every clinic, labour ward, hospitals would save more lives, saying it is the next task to be accomplished.

Galadanci said that the world must do more by investing in new lifesaving tools to achieve a healthier and inclusive world. (NAN)

Edited by Folasade Adeniran

Gates Foundation calls for investment in women’s health

By: Folashade Adeniran

On: September 21, 2023

In: Foreign

With: 0 Comments

By Oluwafunke Ishola Melinda French-Gates, Co-chair, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, says investing in women’s healthcare, particularly in high quality, affordable, equitable healthcare is a sure way to build a better future we all imagine. French-Gates said this during the 2023 Goalkeepers Conference held on the sidelines of theContinue Reading

Hajj operation: Don urges NAHCON to engage trained, certified personnel

By: Salisu Sani Idris

On: September 21, 2023

In: Metro

With: 0 Comments

By Salisu Sani-Idris Prof. Isma’ila Shehu has urged the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to insist on engaging trained, competent and certified personnel to manage its annual hajj operations. Shehu, who is of the Department of Political Science and International Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, made the call atContinue Reading

Oil spillage, plastics devastating environment – Don warns

By: Muhyideen Jimoh

On: September 21, 2023

In: Environment

With: 0 Comments

By Thompson Yamput A University Don, Prof. Benjamin Dauda, has warned against the devastating effects of oil spillage and plastics on the environment in Nigeria. Dauda, who is the Dean, Faculty of Sciences and Head of Department (HOD), Department of Industrial Chemistry, Federal University Lokoja (FUL), gave the warning atContinue Reading

DMO takes FGN securities issuance awareness to Delta

By: Muhyideen Jimoh

On: September 21, 2023

In: Economy/Business

With: 0 Comments

By Kadiri Abdulrahman The Debt Management Office, on Thursday, took its Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) Securities Issuance Awareness Programme to Asaba, the Delta State capital. The programme, which is a collaborative effort of the DMO and CSL Securities Limited, the stockbroking firm for the FG, witnessed a large turnoutContinue Reading

Army chief tasks heritage centre on innovation

By: isaac aregbesola

On: September 21, 2023

In: Defence/Security

With: 0 Comments

Sumaila Ogbaje The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has tasked the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre (NAHFC), on thorough analysis of policies, practices and procedures towards enhancing the capabilities of the army. Lagbaja gave the directive at the inaugural seminar of the centre with the theme,Continue Reading

Fatality crashes on Nigerian roads down by 15.5% – FRSC

By: ruth oketunde

On: September 21, 2023

In: Defence/Security

With: 0 Comments

By Ibironke Ariyo The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says road traffic fatalities significantly reduced in the first half of 2023 by 15.5 percent. This is contained in statement released by FRSC’s Spokesman, Assistant Corps Marshal Bisi Kazeem, on Wednesday in Abuja. Kazeem said that the corps recorded a totalContinue Reading

International Peace Day: Rotary Club, Peace Corps task Nigerians on peaceful coexistence

By: ruth oketunde

On: September 21, 2023

In: General News

With: 0 Comments

By Ruth Oketunde Rotary International District 9125 and Peace Corps of Nigeria have stressed the need for peaceful co-existence among people of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds in the country. They said this at a peace awareness walk, organised to commemorate the 2023 International Day of Peace on Thursday inContinue Reading

World Bank pledges to reposition Nigeria’s irrigation farming for economic development

By: Tosin Kolade

On: September 21, 2023

In: Food Security

With: 0 Comments

By Tosin Kolade The World Bank announced its commitment to reposition Nigeria’s irrigation farming for sustainable economic development and for food security on Thursday in Abuja. It announced the commitment when its team on Sustainable Power and Irrigation in Nigeria/ Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria, (SPIN/TRIMING) project officials visited theContinue Reading

4-point agenda in health sector will address manpower challenge – Minister

By: Julius Toba-Jegede

On: September 21, 2023

In: Health

With: 0 Comments

By Oluwakemi Oladipo The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Pate, on Thursday said the ministry’s four-point agenda would address the sector’s manpower challenge and strengthen the nation’s healthcare system. Pate stated this at the 41st Annual convocation of National Postgraduate MedicalContinue Reading

N/East elders hail military onslaught against terrorists

By: isaac aregbesola

On: September 21, 2023

In: Defence/Security

With: 0 Comments

By Sumaila Ogbaje The North-East Elders for Restoration (NEER), a pressure group has hailed the ongoing military clearance operations nationwide, especially against Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists. The group gave the commendation in a statement by its president, Mallam Bello Katagum and Secretary, Alhaji Sani Sanusi,Continue Reading

Follows Us

Gates Foundation calls for investment in women’s health (Page 2,088)