By Saminu Ibrahim
The Federal Government has revealed that private-sector partners have pledged nearly $65 million in cash and in-kind contributions to support efforts to reduce maternal mortality and improve women’s healthcare in Nigeria.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Wednesday while welcoming partners into the Maternal and Newborn Health Private Sector Compact, describing their contributions as a significant boost to the country’s efforts to prevent maternal deaths.
Pate said the commitments reflected the private sector’s growing commitment to improving maternal health, noting that the contributions included essential medicines, healthcare products, innovation and other forms of support.
Specifically he harped on commitment to provide 800,000 doses of essential medication used in preventing maternal deaths as one of the significant contributions under the partnership.
The minister also acknowledged the contributions of partners, describing the private sector as a critical platform for mobilising resources and strengthening healthcare delivery.
He said the partnership aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to reducing maternal mortality and ensuring that no woman dies while giving birth.
Pate further announced the launch of several complementary national healthcare policy documents and implementation guidelines designed to strengthen maternal, newborn and reproductive healthcare services.
The documents include the National Training Curriculum and Implementation Framework for Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care, the Obstetric Fistula Framework, the National Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy, Postpartum Family Planning and Self-Care Guidelines, Permanent Methods of Family Planning Guidelines, and National Task-Shifting and Task-Sharing Guidelines.
According to him, the new frameworks are designed to complement private-sector investments by strengthening the capacity of healthcare workers and improving service delivery at health facilities.
He emphasised that financial resources, private-sector innovation and modern healthcare tools must be matched with adequately trained, guided and regulated health professionals to achieve meaningful improvements in maternal health outcomes.
The minister stressed that improving both access to healthcare and the quality of services remained essential to reducing maternal and newborn deaths.
He commended the private-sector partners for their commitment, describing the nearly $65 million contribution as significant, particularly given the prevailing economic challenges.
Pate expressed the Federal Government’s appreciation to the partners, urging continued collaboration to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system and save the lives of women and newborns.
