Mrs. Saraki Raises Alarm Over Effects Of Zika Virus On Pregnant Women

Wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, has called for more awareness on the highly probable effects of Zika virus – a mosquito-borne illness with dire effects on pregnancy and newborns that is currently rampaging South America – on pregnancy and birth outcomes.

Mrs. Saraki, who is also the President of the reproductive, maternal, newborn, adolescent and child health (RMNCAH) non-governmental organisation – the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), spoke on the need for enhanced education for women while discussing how to improve maternal health in areas of conflict and extreme poverty with The Guardian of London  (UK).

She called for an increased emphasis on health education through midwives, to protect women in crisis settings by arming them with adequate knowledge.

Sharing insight on the Guardian Global Development Live panel on Thursday, she noted that currently, Nigeria – Africa’s most populous nation – is home to 3.3 million people who have been displaced by violence.

Mrs. Saraki also used the opportunity to raise awareness on the disproportional impact of humanitarian crisis on women and adolescent girls and lamented that many pregnant women and girls give birth without assistance from a skilled birth attendant, due to rising conflict.

In order to facilitate the much needed health education for pregnant women living in conflict settings, according to her, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa recently commenced free antenatal education classes in IDP camps in the country, under its #MaternalMonday Campaign.