COVID-19: Groups canvass support for women, health workers, others

Amid dwindling revenue posed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), NECA’s Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) has urged the government to improve skills acquisition programmes for vulnerable women, especially petty traders, in the country.

President of NNEW, Mrs. Funmilayo Arowoogun, said this yesterday during the distribution of palliatives, in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria, to over 60 petty traders in Ojodu area of Lagos State.

The beneficiaries got rice, beans, garri, noodles, sanitisers, and face masks.

NNEW project coordinator, Olakitan Wellington, enlightened the women on the necessary procedures and precautions to stay safe amid COVID-19 especially, how to use the face mask and proper way to wash hands.

Despite the successful treatment and discharge of the 18 COVID-19 cases in Taraba State, the Centre for Initiative and Development (CFID) has told the state government not to celebrate yet.

Rather, the group said additional energy should be deployed towards strengthening the capacities of all concerned groups in the forefront of halting the spread of the virus.

At a capacity building workshop for non-governmental organisations, health workers, faith-based organisations, women and youth groups, among others, yesterday in Jalingo, CFID said the training was aimed at enhancing capacity of state and non-state actors on COVID-19 prevention, surveillance and mitigation strategies in Taraba.

Led by its Chief Executive Officer, Danjuma Adda, the group stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to increase knowledge on the current use of personal protective equipment and managing COVID-19 patients at home and in hospital, through virtual health education and printed guidelines.

In the same vein, Centre for Health, Equity and Justice (CEHEJ) has urged the government to urgently end the 54 years age limitation against women seeking Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ART) solutions as contained in the Lagos State Regulations and Guidelines for ART Practice.

CEHEJ in a letter signed by the Executive Director, Timothy Adewale, noted: “ART clinics in Lagos that ordinarily have the expertise and would have attended to these women have been denied the opportunity because of the above guidelines limiting the age of women seeking ART in Lagos to 54 years.

“While we agree that some kind of oversight and regulations are needed to govern the practice of ART, this should however not lead to the denial and rejection of women who desire to bear at least a child in their lifetime.

“CEHEJ believes that once individuals or couples seeking ART are provided with sufficient information regarding their treatment including the risk, it is for the patient to decide and agree on his/her treatment.