BOLANLE AMBODE ADVOCATES SUPPORT FOR GOVT ON HEALTH SERVICES

The First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode has called on Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN) to continually support the government in its efforts to make quality health services available to all citizens through the provision of modern equipment in healthcare facilities across the State.

She made the call on Friday at the opening ceremony of the Lagos State Medical Women Association of Nigeria Biennial Conference and 40th Anniversary held at Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja.

Mrs. Ambode urged the leadership of MWAN to focus on modalities that would enlighten women on how to guide against life-threatening diseases and live a healthy life, saying: “As women, mothers and medical practitioners, I know you are aware of the health challenges we face as women in relation to HIV/AIDS, Cancer, and other ailments that have continued to cut short the lives of women and the girl-child on a daily basis,” .

 

The First Lady who was decorated as the Matron of the association for her exemplary contribution to the empowerment of women in the State, urged the Association to confront the health challenges facing women through adequate information on healthy lifestyles that will prevent untimely death.

“As women, mothers and medical practitioners, I know you are aware of the health challenges we face as women in relation to HIV/AIDS, Cancer, and other ailments that have continued to cut short the lives of women and the girl-child on a daily basis,” she said.

 

She maintained that any desire to attain sustainable development without deliberate attention on women development and access to quality maternal and health care services, particularly in the area of family planning, will not yield the expected result.

Delivering a keynote address at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, advocated greater attention to women’s health.

She urged government at all levels to put in place a gender-sensitive health policy that will favour the womenfolk considering their vulnerability to life-threatening ailments.

“It is my belief that if a woman is alive, an entire family will be alive and healthy. More importantly too, there should be a focus on women empowerment as a way of reducing the spate of domestic violence in different quarters across the country, ” Adefulire stated.

The newly elected president of the association, Dr. Omowunmi Bakare said that MWAN is dedicated to promoting women’s health, improving professional development, personal well-being of members and increasing the influence of women in all aspects of the medical profession.

While encouraging all women, irrespective of their socio-economic status, to get screened regularly, she disclosed that the association has a highly-subsidised cervical and breast cancer screening centre in Ebute-Metta where over 6,000 women have so far benefited from the initiative.