A non-profit organisation, Seyifara Foundation, yesterday, urged the federal and state governments, as well as other necessary stakeholders, to take proactive steps to reduce maternal and child mortality in the country.

Founder of the Foundation, Oluwaseyi Adediran, and a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Adediran Adeniran, who gave the advice during a reach out to about 150 pregnant women and nursing mothers at the Public Health Centre (PHC), Mokola, Ibadan, Oyo State, said it is necessary to look for means of eradicating maternal and child mortality in the country.

The duo, who stated that Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate is a pressing concern, urged support for pregnant and nursing mothers, especially those from the rural areas, which according to them, are mostly affected mainly due to lack of awareness and poverty level.

They said that in over 5,000 cases of maternal and child mortality cases, Seyifara Foundation had intervened even to the extent of giving donations for caesarean operation where needed.

The Foundation, while appealing to the government for more medical facilities in that direction, also urged individuals and foundations to assist in the area.

It said that it is ready to partner with the government and its relevant agencies to curb the trend.

The Foundation presented baby clothes and other items to over 50 women during the event, saying that the gesture was borne out of the passion to assist as well as save the lives of the vulnerable pregnant women and nursing mothers that are in need.

“The motive of the Foundation is to help nursing and expectant mothers in a bid to reduce maternal/child mortality rate in the country.

“The effective primary healthcare services should not be left in the hands of the government alone. All of us as citizens of this country have roles to play. In order to play an active role in this regard, the Foundation was founded in 2017 and had conducted different health-related programmes in different parts of the country, including Oyo, Sokoto, Kano and other states.

“We have reached out to over 5,000 women with payment of hospital bills, including that of Caesarean section, food items and presentation of cash,” it said.