…Moves to Establish Technical Working Group on Women’s Health
The administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling maternal mortality, describing the reduction of preventable deaths among women as a key priority.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr Adanna Steinacker, gave the assurance in Abuja during a consultative meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) convened to assess persistent barriers women face in accessing healthcare services. She said women’s health remains a national priority under the current administration.
According to her, sustained engagement with professional associations and CSOs enables her office to gain deeper insight into challenges at sub-national and grassroots levels.
“It is very key to invite these groups to understand policy alignment from my office, resource mobilisation, where to channel resources, and how other initiatives should work in terms of women’s health,” she said.
Steinacker noted that maternal health continues to dominate discussions, alongside issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights, menstrual hygiene, access to family planning commodities, health education and mental health.
“I can tell you that maternal health still remains a challenge in Nigeria. Women from different organisations are sharing lived experiences from their communities,” she said.
She stressed the need for health education to be accessible and adapted to local languages and contexts, adding that mental health advocacy requires urgent attention.
The presidential aide underscored the importance of prioritising underserved and vulnerable populations, describing them as the groups most in need of targeted health resources and services. She disclosed that her office has opened communication channels with CSOs and is leveraging digital platforms to enhance coordination and efficiency.
Steinacker further announced plans to establish a technical working group, with several CSOs volunteering to support implementation of recommendations emerging from the consultations. She expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for creating a dedicated office to address women’s health issues.
Earlier, Chairman of the Health Sector Reform Coalition, Dr Mohammed Lecky, highlighted structural challenges within the health system that disproportionately affect women. He identified delayed health financing and low awareness of health insurance as major obstacles, urging the SSA’s office to champion increased enrollment of women in health insurance schemes.
Lecky also called for more direct engagement with women in rural communities to better understand and amplify their health concerns, particularly in the context of the approaching electoral cycle.
On women’s reproductive health and rights, Bunmi Dipo-Salami, Executive Director of Baobab for Women’s Human Rights, said limited awareness and inadequate access to services continue to undermine women’s wellbeing.
“We do not have adequate service providers for women’s reproductive health. In some hospitals, male staff attend to women’s health, highlighting a gap,” she said.
She further decried poor inter-agency coordination, noting that the Ministry of Health does not sufficiently collaborate with the Ministry of Women Affairs and other relevant bodies. In some communities, she added, reproductive health services are either unavailable or culturally restricted, with men sometimes preventing women from accessing care.
“These gaps must be addressed to ensure women’s health and rights are fully protected,” she said.
