Group urges President Buhari to sign into law bill protecting children, women

Experts in women’s health, activists and development partners, have called on the President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the Maternal Perinatal and Child Death Surveillance and Response, (MPCDSR), the bill before the end of his tenure, to save the lives of Nigerian mothers and children.

President, of the Society of Gynecologists and Obstetrics of Nigeria, (SOGON), Dr Habib Sadauki made the call at a media briefing organized by the development Research and Projects Center, (dRPC)), in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Abuja.

He said if Nigeria is to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, (SDGs), by the year 2030, issues of Gender Based Violence, (GBV), and improving maternal mortality health for women must be addressed.

He said the President’s assent to the bill will further cap his many achievements and leave behind a legacy that will impact mothers and children because the strengthening of legislation as well as its adoption and implementation, is critical to tackling the high rate of infant and maternal mortality as well as a high level of GBV while ensuring the rights of women to reproductive and mental standards for sustainable development.

In his words, “SOGON calls on Mr President to give assent to the MPCDSR Bill before him to serve as one of his indelible legacies to the people of Nigeria.”

Sadauki made this known at a media briefing organized by the development Research and Projects Center, (dRPC), in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the SOGON, at the weekend in Abuja.

He said that Buhari’s assent to the bill will further cap his many achievements and leave behind a legacy that will impact mothers and children because the strengthening of legislation as well as its adoption and implementation, is critical to tackling the high rate of infant and maternal mortality as well as a high level of GBV while ensuring the rights of women to reproductive and mental standards for sustainable development.

In his words, “SOGON calls on Mr President to give assent to the MPCDSR Bill before him to serve as one of his indelible legacies to the people of Nigeria.”

The experts noted that Nigeria has one of the highest in the world with an estimated 512 deaths per 100, 000 live births while GBV cases are still very high both of which have grave implications on national development as many women lose their lives.

Also speaking on the need to make available access to safe abortion, the group pointed out that even though most people shy away from discussing the topic due to cultural, religious and other beliefs, access to safe abortion is imperative to saving the lives of millions of Nigerian women as health complications that could arise during pregnancies which threaten the life of the mother.

“If people have medical conditions such as abnormal babies that if born will not survive up to 24 hours, or due to the mother having serious diabetes or high blood pressure of which if the mother is to carry the pregnancy will jeopardize her life, then safe abortion is advised,” they said.