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| L-R: Mr. Clem Ugorji, Director, Public Affairs and Communications, Coca-Cola West Africa Business Unit; Dr. Bala Yusuf, Technical Director, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs; Prof. Chinyere Ezeaka, Professor of Paediatrics, Lagos University Teaching Hospital Idi-Araba; Dr Adedamola Dada, Chief Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta; and Mrs. Amaka Onyemelukwe, Head, Public Affairs and Communications, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, during the Coca-Cola Stakeholders Parley on ‘Enabling Safe Births in Nigeria’ |
•Train 20 Biomedical Engineering Technicians
Chioma Umeha
Nigeria loses no fewer than 576 women per 100,000
childbirths and 37 newborn deaths per 1,000 live births.
The country is among the worst ratios for both
maternal and newborn deaths globally, according to the 2013 National
Demographics and Health Survey (NDHS).
A joint report entitled, “Trends in Maternal
Mortality: 1990 to 2015 by World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations
Children Fund (UNICEF), World Bank and United Nations Population Fund,” further
estimates that with approximately 58,000 maternal deaths, Nigeria accounts for
19 per cent of the burden globally.
In view of the need to reduce maternal mortality
to barest minimum, experts call for efforts at boosting capacity of health
service delivery.
Consequently, Coca-Cola Nigeria has embarked on
Safe Birth Initiative (SBI) to empower selected public hospitals through
procurement of vital maternal and neonatal medical equipment and supplies.
The SBI covers training of biomedical engineering
technicians to improve equipment maintenance and uptime; and reactivating a
large stock of abandoned medical equipment wasting away in public hospitals.
The beverage company also says that SBI entails
reactivating a large stock of abandoned medical equipment wasting away in
public hospitals.
Coca-Cola made the disclosure at a workshop,
tagged, ‘Enabling Safe Birth in Nigeria,’ which it organised for stakeholders.
The event was held under the auspices of SBI sponsored by Coca-Cola in
partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Office of the Senior
Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals and an NGO,
Medshare International Inc.
The aim is to support the attainment of the SDG
targets on maternal and new-born deaths reduction, and reactivating a large
stock of abandoned medical equipment wasting away in public hospitals.
The workshop also marked the completion of the
maiden SBI capacity training for 20 biomedical engineering technicians from 10
leading medical institutions across the country, comprising university
hospitals, federal medical centres and general hospitals.
The two-week training was conducted by US-based
Engineering World Health (EWH) at the School of Biomedical Engineering, Lagos
University Teaching Hospital.
In his opening remarks at the event, Clem Ugorji,
Public Affairs & Communications Director for Coca-Cola West Africa, gave
highlights of the SBI rationale and implementation plan.
Ugorji says, “In addition to completing the first
batch of the biomedical engineering technicians training, the consignment of
equipment and supplies required for the National Hospital, Abuja had been fully
delivered.
“The consignments for Federal Medical Centres in
Ebute-Metta and Owerri and General Hospital, Alimosho, Lagos were scheduled to
arrive in the coming weeks, while needs assessments were on-going at six other
approved hospitals to determine their specific needs,” he adds.
Ugorji states that Coca-Cola’s commitment goes
beyond donating equipment, through the SBI, noting, the company hopes to
promote effective maintenance culture by empowering biomedical engineering
technicians.
On his part, Prof. Isaac Adewole, Minister of
Health, in his remarks, says, “We have always believed that our healthcare
would improve with active collaboration and partnership from the private
sector.
The Minister who was represented by Dr. Adedamola
Dada, the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta,
Lagos, commended the initiative.
Dr. Dada says, “The Safe Birth Initiative is a
good example of such a partnership. Meticulous planning and identification of
the needs of the beneficiary hospitals have been carried out with active
involvement of partners and beneficiaries.”
Dr. Bala Yusuf, representing Princess Adejoke
Orelope-Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs,
observes, “The Coca-Cola Safe Birth Initiative is working towards the third
sustainable development goal – Health and Wellbeing for all, including our
mothers and our children.
“This partnership is a classic example of what we
can do when we combine our expertise and resources in support of the 2030 SDG
agenda. We hope this event will strengthen our resolve to continue to work
together as policy makers, development practitioners, academics, but more
importantly as concerned citizens, in support of the 2030 agenda of the
sustainable development goals.”
The official launch of the Safe Birth Initiative
and inauguration of the first set of SBI equipment in the country will be
performed by Professor Adewole, at the National Hospital in Abuja next week.
