IDPs: Saraki’s Wife to Intensify Healthcare in Displaced Communities

In response to the heightened migration issue and the dire maternal and newborn health in Northeast of Nigeria, the wife of the Senate President, Mrs Toyin Saraki has Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) has pledged to amplify the delivery of it’s nationwide MamaCare MomAndBaby Skills&Drills Antenatal Education Curriculum Classes to displaced mothers in the IDPs camps in Northeast Nigeria.

The President of WBFA, Mrs Toyin Saraki who stated this at the ongoing 71st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in New York p, also reaffirmed the commitment of the NGO to intensify  its nationwide maternal and newborn healthcare and wellbeing services in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the Northeast of Nigeria, supporting frontline health workers and midwives.

“With rates of hunger, malnutrition, suffering, starvation and death shockingly high in the region, in comparison to the rest of the country, there needs to be a local, national, global movement to improve the health of mothers and their babies in the camps.” Mrs Saraki said.

Mrs Saraki continued: “The Foundation strongly believes that intensifying the proper deployment of skilled midwives, trained in emergency management of obstetric and newborn care, vital statistics and civil registrations, and respectful maternity care, will dramatically improve basic health services to build the necessary resilience to cope with crises and conflict across the globe. WBFA commits to delivering more MamaCare Antenatal and Postnatal Classes, ensuring this crucial continuum of quality care and counsel.”

She noted that in the past year, the WBFA has trained 371 Nigerian midwives in Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care; pioneered and implemented its premier MamaCare MomAndBaby Skills&Drills Antenatal Education Curriculum Classes led by midwives, and delivered to 1000 women each week, in three states comprising  Lagos, Abuja and Kwara, reaching over 125,000 women in total.

WBFA she said also distributed its 150,000 Personal Health Record (PHR) across Nigeria. The PHRs allow mothers and health professionals to track and monitor the pregnancy and the health of the mother.

“Refugees and displaced persons need identities and to be registered easily. Our PHRs improve civil registration, utilising ever-improving technologies to enhance and increase health data systems and accountability. We will continue to distribute PHRs, specifically in areas where displaced persons and migrants are, so that they gain certifiable identifies,” Stephen Sobhani, Global CEO of the WBFA.

The WBFA delegation, led by its President, Mrs Saraki comprises the Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Sobhani and newly appointed Global Communications Manager Sagal Ali.

The team is billed among others to attend the US-Africa Forum, the Education Commission, the Lancet Maternal Health Report Launch and related side events.

The theme of this year’s UNGA is the global plight of refugees and migrants and finding a strong global solution and voice. The international community will also map the progress made towards the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) following their launch in 2015.