By NewsBits
Women have been urged to refrain from delivering babies at home to increase their chances of survival during and after childbirth. A Health Officer with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office, Oluseyi Olosunde, gave the caution on Wednesday, March 6, during a media dialogue to mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), held at the Evolution Hotel in Gombe state.
Olosunde presenting a paper titled: “The Optics of Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) in Bauchi Field Office,” stressed the importance of empowering women to improve maternal and child health. The media dialogue, themed “Invest in Women – Accelerate Progress,” brought together media practitioners from the Bauchi UNICEF Field Office, covering Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, and Plateau states.
The Health Officer highlighted that in some states, six out of ten deliveries occur at home, while in others, eight out of ten are done at home, putting children at risk due to unskilled birth attendants. According to him, home childbirth poses significant risks to mothers in cases of complications during labour, as homes lack the necessary equipment to detect and address such problems.
In his welcome address, the Chief of the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr Tushar Rane, stated that International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8 to honour women’s achievements and promote women’s rights worldwide.
Dr. Rane underscored the importance of gender equality and women’s well-being for building prosperous economies and fostering a healthy planet. He noted that IWD serves as a reminder of progress made and the ongoing work needed to address women’s issues. According to him, the media dialogue aimed to showcase the remarkable achievements of community-based women in the health sector in the Bauchi Field Office through the mama2mama initiative.
He explained that in the Mama2Mama Initiative, women serve as health advocates and educators, raising awareness about health issues and encouraging community members to seek healthcare. Rane pointed out that investing in the health, rights, and well-being of adolescent girls generates a transformative ripple effect that uplifts entire nations. He noted that the contributions of women have paved the way for inclusive and sustainable development, shaping a brighter future for generations to come.
He emphasized the need to push further for a world, characterized by equity and inclusivity, where girls and boys are empowered to access and benefit from the same rights, resources, opportunities, and protections, fostering a society where every person can thrive. Rane enjoined the participants to use their various wide-reaching media platforms to set the public and political agenda for the well-being of women and adolescent girls.
