Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called for stronger collaboration among all stakeholders to reduce Nigeria’s maternal and new-born mortality rate.

She said governments at all levels, traditional and religious institutions, development partners and philanthropists must work together to tackle the menace.

According to her, the scale of the challenge requires collective action to ensure that healthcare interventions reach those who need them most. Senator Tinubu noted that pregnant women and new-borns, particularly those in poor, underserved and hard-to-reach communities, must be prioritized.

She made the call at the national flag-off of the distribution of maternal and new-born kits to vulnerable women across the country. The call came as the Federal Government rolled out 215,000 MAMA kits, 40,000 maternal food-support packs and 40,000 sets of new-born clothing for vulnerable women and families.

The initiative, championed through the Office of the First Lady, is part of efforts to improve maternal and child health indices in the country. Senator Tinubu said the incentives are designed to encourage economically disadvantaged pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics regularly. She said the kits will also help women prepare adequately for childbirth and remain connected to healthcare services after delivery.

The First Lady explained that many women in rural communities avoid health facilities due to poverty and lack of support, a situation the intervention seeks to address. She stressed that no woman should die while giving life, and no child should die at birth due to preventable causes.

Stakeholders at the event commended the initiative, describing it as timely and critical to reducing maternal deaths. They pledged their commitment to support the Federal Government in ensuring the items reach the intended beneficiaries at the grassroots.The distribution of the kits is expected to commence immediately across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, who was represented at the event, disclosed that maternal mortality remains a major public health challenge, with Nigeria accounting for a significant proportion of global maternal deaths.

He said the MAMA kits intervention will complement ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen primary healthcare, improve health financing and expand access to skilled birth attendance across the country.

Beneficiaries who spoke at the ceremony thanked the First Lady for the gesture, saying the support would go a long way in reducing out-of-pocket expenses and encouraging more women to deliver in health facilities.