In response to the high maternal and infants’ mortality in Nigeria, Coca-Cola has committed N3.8 billion in form of social investment to tackle cases of infant and maternal mortality with the recent launch of Safe Birth Initiative (SBI) in Lagos.
According to the National Demographics and Health Survey (NDHS, 2013), Nigeria loses as many as 576 women per 100,000 childbirths and 37 newborn deaths per 1,000 live births, placing the country among the worst ratios for both maternal and newborn deaths globally. Sadly too, only 40per cent of new mothers receive healthcare after childbirth.
SBI is a social investment by Coca-Cola Nigeria in partnership with Medshare International and the Federal Government through the office of the senior special assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) and the Federal Ministry of Health geared towards proffering sustainable solutions of bringing mothers and their new born babies’ home alive after delivery.
“The Safe Birth Initiative is a part of the company’s wellbeing program to support the efforts of government in reducing the alarming numbers of women and newborns who die from birth-related complications every day,” said Clem Ugorji, the business unit public affairs, communications and sustainability director, Coca-Cola, West Africa.
According to Ugorji, the SBI has so far donated eight 40feet containers of medical equipment, kits and supplies, and trained over 80 technical staff at the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, National Hospital, Abuja and Alimosho General Hospital. He stated that SBI will also touch lives around other states in the country as Coca-Cola continues to take bold steps in ensuring that mother and child go home safely after birth.
Akinola Abayomi, the Lagos State commissioner of health said the initiative directly supports Nigeria’s achievement of SDGs 3, on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages and SDG-5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
“We would like to thank Coca-Cola and Medshare for making this new equipment available and providing the technical support in running them; we would like to encourage other companies to emulate these kinds of initiatives in our communities,” said Abayomi.
“We are here today, having received two container loads of medical equipment and consumables. We thank Coca-Cola and Medshare as this will go a long way to complement our efforts towards the safe delivery of our mothers and newborns,” said Madewa Adebajo, the medical director of Alimosho General Hospital.
Under the SBI, over 80 Biomedical engineering technicians’ capability has been upskilled to improve equipment maintenance and uptime thereby saving more lives. According to Eben Amstrong, director, Biomedical Engineering and Training, Medshare International USA, the programme implementing partner, technicians were drawn from across 10 beneficiary medical institutions across the country, comprising university hospitals, federal medical centres and general hospitals.
SEYI JOHN SALAU
