At least 50,000 women and girls in Niger State are to benefit from free and quality health services.
This according to a Non Governmental Organisation, White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria, is part of efforts in driving down Nigeria’s maternal and under-5 mortality rate.
The Niger State Government, through the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mustapha Jibrin, said on Friday that the treatment for all women in the state will henceforth be free.
Making this known at the launch of the “What Women Want,” in Tunga, Minna, Dr. Jibrin said the government is concerned about how services are rendered and how women are treated.
Accordingly, he said: “With the support of our partners we will be able to bring our people closer to government. We want to know their challenges and see how we can help solve them.
“The state government has put in place mechanisms where, when women come to our health facilities, they won’t have to pay. Especially, for the treatment of malaria, it is free in Niger State.”
While assuring of quality health services for women and girls, the Country Director of WRAN, Tonte Ibraye, told journalists that the What Women Want initiative is targeting no fewer than 50,000 women and girls in Niger State.
“The campaign is to improve the quality of maternal and reproductive healthcare for women and girls, aimed at strengthening health systems,” Ibraye added.
The campaign, according to Ibraye, is across the six geopolitical zones and it is expected to run for two years, which will see responses collected from women and girls throughout 2018 and key findings will be analyzed, aggregated and shared in 2019.