By Sarah NEGEDU
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has unveiled two flagship health initiatives aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality, as well as addressing the dangers of household air pollution in the territory.
The programmes were launched on Wednesday, at the Asokoro District Hospital, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary.
Speaking after a symbolic presentation of Mother–Baby Kits and Liquefied Petroleum Gas cookers to some pregnant women, the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, said the Administration was determined to ensure that no woman faced the risks of childbirth without adequate medical support and that no child began life without proper care.
She explained that the Mother–Baby Kit initiative and the Abuja Breathe Fresh Air Project represent a holistic vision of health, protecting mothers and newborns during delivery while safeguarding families from respiratory diseases caused by smoke inhalation in homes.
According to her, the Mother–Baby Kits, which contain essential medical items and consumables, will provide support for safe labour, delivery and neonatal care for women and babies across the FCT.
“No woman should face childbirth without the tools and support she needs, and no child should begin life without adequate care. These kits reflect our deep commitment to maternal and child health and to ensuring that every mother and baby are given the best start possible,” Mahmoud stated.
The Minister further described the Abuja Breathe Fresh Air Project as a bold, forward-looking intervention designed to reduce indoor air pollution in vulnerable households.
Mahmoud stressed that the dual programmes are part of the broader transformation of the FCT under the Renewed Hope Agenda, and reaffirmed that government’s investment in both immediate healthcare needs and long-term environmental sustainability was non-negotiable.
She used the opportunity of Nigeria’s 65th independence celebration to call on residents to recommit themselves to building an FCT “where every home is healthier, every birth is safer, and every breath is cleaner.”
Earlier in her remarks at the flag-off ceremony, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, said the Administration has adopted a zero tolerance policy to maternal and child mortality in the territory.
She described it as unacceptable that women continued to die from preventable complications of childbirth, “One major reason for these preventable deaths is the lack of access to clean, safe and essential supplies during delivery.
“The Renewed Hope Mother–Baby Kit initiative is designed to bridge that gap. Each kit contains basic but critical items needed to ensure a hygienic and safe delivery both for the mother and the child,” Fasawe stated.
She encouraged expectant mothers to register for antenatal care and assured that the Administration would sustain the programme to make childbirth safer for all women across the territory.
Fasawe also disclosed that the Mother–Baby Kits and Liquefied Petroleum Gas cookers will be distributed free of charge to pregnant women across the six area councils under the clean air project.
She noted that the slogans of the initiatives capture their direct impact on families, with the baby kits themed “Renewing Hope, One Baby at a Time” and the Abuja Breathe Fresh Air Project themed “Renewing Hope, One Home at a Time.”
She said the programmes were being implemented in conjunction with IHS to give practical expression to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
While reiterating the FCTA’s commitment, Fasawe maintained that under Wike’s leadership, strategic health interventions would continue to receive priority attention, especially those that directly benefit women, children and rural communities.
