Jonathan’s wife advocates for reduction of infant mortality .

First Lady Patience Jonathan has called on all stakeholders to make deliberate policies that can help reduce and check infant and maternal mortality in the country.
The First Lady stated this at the weekend at a Dinner in Abuja to wind up the 42nd Annual General and Scientific Conference of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN).

She said that Government through the Federal Ministry of Health has intensified efforts to stem the tide of maternal and infant mortality through maternal education, high coverage of immunization, and several other interventions.

The first lady who was represented by the Minister of Health, Prof. C.O. Onyebuchi Chukwu reaffirmed that government has put conscious efforts to ensure that the Millennium Goals target by 2015 were met.

She enjoined members of PAN to work harder to realize the 2015 target, adding that they should evolve a workable roadmap towards meeting the target of reducing infant and maternal death in the country.

She maintained that it was high time they took more practical steps to combat this problem.

She disclosed that her office through her NGO, the A. Aruera Reachout Foundation was doing its best to assist women and children with health related problems, including sponsorship of children with heart problems on surgery to India.

She also said that her Foundation assists women through skills acquisition to check poverty noting that poverty impedes access to medical care and thus enhances infant and maternal mortality.

Earlier, the Chairman of the local Organizing Committee of the Conference, Dr. Iretiola B. Babaniyi explained that PAN is a very strong advocacy group for children and presently, has over 500 specialists in its fold.

It is affiliated to the International Paediatric Association (IPA), Union of National African Paediatric Societies Association (UNAPSA) and other local bodies such as Nigeria Medical Association.

She noted that the annual conferences create an opportunity for members to update knowledge and skills in child healthcare as well as share ideas towards the improvement of child health service in Nigeria.

Issues like “The role of Immunization in Reducing Communicable Disease Burden” and “Children with special needs” as a result of intellectual and behavioral disabilities were discussed at the Conference.

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