Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, has assured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s resolve to prioritise women’s health, claiming that maternal deaths have reduced by about 17 per cent in health facilities.

Pate stated this in Abuja on Saturday during the launch of the Built for Her Foundation and the presentation of scholarships to 30 female medical students across the country.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Mayowa Alade, the minister said: “The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently implementing the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, a comprehensive reform agenda designed to strengthen the health system, by improving health sector governance, improving population health through an equitable, efficient and quality health system, unlocking the health care value chain and strengthening health security and resilience.

“A central pillar of this initiative is the prioritisation of women’s health and the deliberate effort to crash maternal and child mortality rates, which remain unacceptably high. Through the NHSRII, we are beginning to see a downward trend in maternal deaths in our health facilities (17% reduction in maternal deaths in health facilities in the MAMII LGAs).”

Founder of the foundation, Dr Teniola Saraki, explained that her intervention was to reduce avoidable deaths, especially among women.

Saraki said Nigeria records approximately one maternal death every seven minutes, adding that in 2023, an estimated 75,000 mothers were lost, accounting for 29 per cent of all maternal deaths worldwide.

She claimed that one in every 100 Nigerian women is at risk of dying from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes.

She added that women’s health autonomy also remains a challenge, as 71.2 per cent of married women lack autonomy in making decisions about their sexual and reproductive health, meaning that only 29 per cent have full control over their healthcare choices.

Also, she pointed out that investment in women’s health would strengthen human capital, productivity, education outcomes, and long-term economic resilience.

In addition, she predicted that improved access, uptake, effectiveness, and delivery of care for high-burden conditions could generate an estimated $130 billion uplift to the global economy by 2040.

“The Built for Her Foundation is structured around five interconnected pillars, aligned with the McKinsey Health Institute framework on closing the gender health gap.

“The first is Counting Women, improving data, measurement, and visibility so that women’s realities shape decisions at every level.

“The second is Studying Women, supporting research that reflects women’s lived experiences and strengthens the evidence base for gender-responsive policy and practice.

“The third is Caring for Women, improving access to high-quality, culturally relevant, gender-responsive healthcare across Nigeria,” she suggested. (The Sun)