Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has stressed the need for traditional rulers to key into the resolve of ending female genital mutilation and hepatitis B, as well as other diseases afflicting the womenfolk.
While reeling out pressing health issues affecting the female gender in the country to include Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Syphilis, among others, the president’s wife maintained that the support to the royal fathers will go a long way in eliminating mother-to-child transmission.
The First Lady disclosed during her visit to Ondo State to flag off the South West zone of the Renewed Hope Initiative, designed to improve the well-being of women and girls across the country.
According to her, midwives and nurses in the state will receive 10,000 professional kits, comprising crocs and scrubs, as well as a donation of N50 million to 1,000 female traders in the state to boost their trade.
She said, “Ending female genital mutilation is also one of our key priorities. It is a harmful and outdated tradition built on myths. It does not stop promiscuity, as some believe. Instead, it destroys the lives of young girls.
“This initiative aims to promote healthier mothers, reduce new HIV infections among women of reproductive age, eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV, which is also the vertical transmission and provide treatment for children born with HIV.
“In the spirit of today’s event, the Renewed Hope Initiative will be presenting an additional grant of 50 million Naira to the First Lady of Ondo State to support 1,000 women petty traders in Ondo State with a sum of 50,000 each to recapitalize their existing businesses. We brought about some 400 bales of African free, and we’re going to give two bales each to one of the 200 women and part of the 1,000 women to be empowered, 200 of them would also get the grant of 50,000.”
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said the distribution of the professional kits would undoubtedly have a profound impact on the lives of the citizens, particularly in the area of maternal and child health.
According to Aiyedatiwa, “As we are all aware, investments in maternal and child health have significant returns, not only in terms of improved health outcomes but also in terms of economic productivity and societal well-being.
“Your initiative is, therefore, a timely and strategic intervention that will, definitely, contribute to the achievement of our State’s health development goals.”
Also, Aiyedatiwa’s wife, Oluwaseun, commended the President’s wife for her commitment to uplifting the living standard of women through various empowerment programmes, saying, “Women’s economic empowerment is a critical driver of sustainable development, and your initiative will, no doubt, contribute to the achievement of our State’s economic development goals.”
Oluyemi Ogunseyin
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