The United States’ Ambassador to Nigeria, James F. Entwistle has observed that the state of primary healthcare in Nigeria paints a dismal picture for the future of many children.
According to him, “The excessively high maternal, neonatal, and under-five death rates are reflections of inadequate availability and access to quality health services.”
Speaking at the launch of the Healthymagination Mother and Child Initiative on Thursday in Abuja, Entwistle said U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has as a result partnered with General Electric (GE) and the Government of Nigeria to bring quality health services to millions of women and children in Nigeria.
He said: “There are 40,000 maternal deaths per year in Nigeria. Many pregnant women delay seeking care until potentially life-threatening conditions arise. No mother should die from preventable causes.
“This partnership between the U.S. government, Nigerian government, and GE will identify at-risk pregnancies early and refer women to higher levels of care.
“The U.S. government, through USAID, has partnered with Nigeria for many years to improve health outcomes and educate people about the importance of health to economic growth.
“In this work, we support the direction of the Government of Nigeria and take after its lead in setting the priorities for developing health systems.”
Entwistle commended GE’s commitment to improving the quality of life in Nigeria, expressing delight that more members of the private sector, particularly U.S. companies, are “profoundly addressing the needs of Nigerians”.
Comments