Frist Lady Wants Health Laws Review

The First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, says legislators should review and reform public health laws to improve the country’s current health issues.

Jonathan said this at an interactive dinner with legislators in Abuja last Wednesday to intimate them on the Integrated Health Programme (IHP), an arm of the Women for Change and Development Initiative.

She said the idea of the IHP became imperative after the UN Report of June 2010 ranked Nigeria among countries that did not make significant progress in the area of maternal and child mortality under the MDGs 4-6A.

The MDGs 4-6A aims to reduce by two-thirds the under-five mortality rate; reduce by three quarters maternal mortality ratio and combat HIV and AIDS respectively, between 1990 and 2015.

The First Lady said the Integrated Health Programme would among other things “promote access to and advocate for improved budgetary allocation to maternal, child health maternal and promote accountability in the country’s national health systems.

“Your presence here tonight is an expression of the love you have for issues that concern women and children. I invited you here today to ask for legislative commitment to tackle elimination of MTCT.

“To enact laws to eliminate all forms of discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS, review and reform public health laws to address public health issues. “To strengthen laws and issues on maternal health

She pleaded with the lawmakers to join her to save the lives of women to ensure preventable deaths were averted.

The Director-General of NACA, Prof. John Idoko, told the gathering that the re-launch of the IHP “is one of the issues major players in the health sector have always prayed for”.

“For every woman we treat of HIV, two more get infected and 85 per cent of donor agencies say nations must begin to look inward to domesticate financing.

“The National Assembly must be a very strong partner of all health development projects in the country.’’

During the interactive session, the Chairman Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Gyang Dantong, said Nigeria was lagging behind on the eradication of many communicable diseases while there were thousands of villages without primary health centers.

“We pledge the legislature’s support, we promise to take this home and table it in all our legislative functions so you are talking to the right people.

“We will go to every nook and cranny to ensure our people get access to basic health,’’ Dantong said.

Another Senator, Helen Esuene, said women bore the brunt of health issues more than men and she thanked the First Lady for “being there for women”.

“We are in touch with our constituents and so in terms of advocacy and partnership we will be your foot soldiers and we will partner with you.’’

The Chairman House Committee on Health, Rep. Ndudi Elumelu called on all rich men in the country to come forward and be part of turning around the health sector.

“I call on all Bill Gates of Nigeria to support the women and children. If you cannot help the poor then you are not rich after all.