FG, Coca-Cola Launch N4bn 0n Safe Birth Initiative

FG, Coca-Cola Launch N4bn 0n Safe Birth Initiative

The Federal Government in Partnership with Coca – Cola has launched the safe birth initiative worth N 4 Billion only. This initiative is aimed at tackling the Country’s high Maternal and Child mortality rate.

Speaking during the launching in Abuja, recently, the Hon. Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole said that government was working towards reducing the current Maternal mortality rates from 576 per 100,000 live births and Newborn mortality rate from 37 per 1,000 live births to the targeted Maternal Mortality ratio of 140 per 100,000 live births as well as 12 per 1,000 neonatal and still births by 2030 respectively.

Prof. Adewole noted that the initiative was also done in partnership with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a non-governmental organisation, Medshare International Inc.

He further said that the donation by Coca-Cola was part of the Federal Government’s effort to ensure improvement on health facilities adding that the relationship was critical towards enhancing corporate social responsibility.

The Minister emphasised the importance of ensuring the availability and affordability of essential commodities as well as improving health facilities with qualified manpower and equipment.

He informed that the items donated included beds, Ventilators, Monitors, Paediatric incubators, resucitares, CPAP machines, infusion pumps and ultra sound machine.

Others were wheel chairs, monitors, crash carts with defibrillator, theatre light and operating table, among others.

In her remarks, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefullire, said that the Coca-Cola Safe Birth Initiative (SBI) was a Programme designed to support selected hospitals across the country with state-of-the-art medical equipment and technical capacity building.

She further said that SBI were directly supporting the achievement of SDG-3 on ‘ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages’ and SDG-5 on ‘Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls’.

In his remarks, the President, Coca – Cola, West Africa, Mr. Peter Njonjo, said that the organisation chosed to join the fight against Maternal and Newborn deaths so that mothers and babies could go home alive from maternities.

He also said that SBI resonated strongly with Coca-Cola because it affected the wellbeing of women.

‘’Globally, Coca-Cola has a commitment to women whom they consider as pillars of the society and their business, especially in Nigeria and Africa where women play a dominant role in the vast distribution and retail network’’, he added.

During his testimonial, the Chief Medical Director, National Hospital, Abuja, Dr Jafaru Momoh, commended the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health through the Minister and Coca-Cola for the donations.

He emphasised that the donation would help in reducing Maternal, Perinatal morbidity and mortality as well as ensuring the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dr. Momoh also identified the departments that had benefited from the donations to include Paediatrics, Anaesthesia, Emergency and Radiography.