By Hassan Zaggi
Concerned by the poor maternal and child health indicators in the West African region, researchers have converged in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to find lasting solutions to the challenges.
The researchers were brought together by the West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO).
Responding to questions from journalists, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gyneacology from the University of Benin, Prof. Friday Okolofor, regretted that West Africa has the worst maternal and child health indicators in the world.
He, however, said governments across the 15 West African countries have not done enough to resolve the challenges around the maternal and child health in the region.
Prof. Okolofor who is a member of the Maternal and Child Health Network set up by WAHO, said that the researchers were in Nigeria to conduct research that will, in turn be given to government departments to enable them know what should be done to halt the maternal and child health challenges in the region.
According to him: “The key challenges in respect to maternal and child health is that the West African region have some of the worst maternal and child health indicators in the world. It is not just limited to one country. It cuts across all the 15 countries in West Africa.
“We have daunting statistics which have remained over the years, partly due to the challenges the countries have. It is also because the governments have not done much in terms of trying to alleviate those challenges.”
He further explained that: “The reason we are here is to conduct research which will then be fed to government departments to enable them to know what should be done to address the problem.
“This is because maternal and child health problems are in all countries of the world but women and children are not dying in some of these countries because these countries have been able to find solutions.
“The idea of the maternal and child health network in West Africa is to see how we can do research to identify these problems and to prove that certain strategies and implementation plans use by government will be successful in alleviating these problems will be successful.”
He stressed that the researchers are keen to having evidence “because you cant do things without research –led evidence. Once you do that you will be doing the wrong things.
“The desire of the research network is to ensure that we come up with evidence for government to take decision in collaboration with researchers and development partners in maternal and child health in the region.”
Also responding to questions from journalists, a Clinical Microbiologist working with the University of Lome in Togo, Prof. Saliu Muneru, noted that pathogens have no border, hence, they are in Nigeria to bring researches the will help find a way of ensuring residents of the West Africa region prevent themselves from diseases.
Prof. Muneru who is a member of the Infectious Disease Network set up by WAHO said that, “the gap is that you can see that pathogens are without borders and we have 15 counties in our region. When you look at what is happening, we have the same challenges. If you can remember Ebola, Lassar fever and now we have COVID-19. Apart from that we have microbial resistance problem that we need to address.
“It will be better for us to be together so that can we face our challenges.”
