Reproductive challenges: Gov Sani-Bello says rural women most affected

Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello has identified rural women as the most vulnerable to the menace of reproductive challenges in the country.

Governor Sani-Bello stated this in Minna, the state capital at the weekend during the fund raising dinner by a non-governmental organisation – The RAISE Foundation for the treatment of women with breast and cervical cancer and VVF.

RAISE Foundation is a pet project of the wife of the Governor, Dr Amina Abubakar Bello established in 2016 to tackle reproductive challenges faced by women.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary, Jibrin Baba Ndace said the Governor noted that women in rural areas are the most affected with reproductive challenges and pledged that his administration will continue to support Non Governmental Organizations that are willing to make positive impact in the lives of the people especially those pertaining the health of the people of the state.

The Governor who noted that his administration was prepared to partner NGOs that are set out to provide assistance to individuals in dare need, maintaining that such organization will be helping in complementing government’s effort in addressing health issues in the state.

According to the governor, “Unfortunately the most vulnerable are women in the rural areas where means of transportation and financial resources are the major problems.

“The government will support any foundation that is able to impact on people’s lives on health issues. I am aware of the scare or limited resources but I also strongly believe that we should do our very best so that we can help those that cannot help themselves.

“I will also like to appeal to the general public to do whatever they can to support any foundation that has a lot of humanitarian impact because the government on its own part tries to address health issues but it is not enough and that is where NGOs like RAiSE Foundation comes into play”.

He called on men folks to ensure that they are more enlightened and become more concerned about the risk faced by women who are diagnosed of VVF, cervical cancer or breast cancer in order to avoid patients from being depressed and have a sense of belonging in the society.

Governor Sani-Bello also commended the management and staff of RAISE Foundation for demonstrating love, patience and tolerance for VVF and cancer patients they come in contact with and for their contributions and efforts in making RAISE Foundation what it is today.

He then called on the State Ministry of Health to work with other NGOs that will assist in identifying possible therapy in any form to patients in dare need.

Earlier, the wife of the Governor who is also the founder of RAISE Foundation, Dr. Amina Abubakar Bello said that the dinner was aimed at raising funds for women diagnosed with breast cancer, cervical cancer or VVF as the free treatment given to a patient with any of the terminal illness by the foundation amounts to millions of Naira.

While giving a rundown of the plans of the foundation, the founder said the fund raising dinner was tagged #RAiSE1k so that everyone would be involved by supporting the foundation with at least N 1,000 as monthly contribution in order to ensure continuity and support for free treatments given to patients.

She said, “The idea behind this is that if we can get as many people as possible to pledge at least N 1,000 per month we will put those resources together and have an amount of money that can save a lot of lives.”

According to her, “in the last 3 years we have treated VVF, cervical and breast cancer patients with exorbitant amount that we definitely can’t do it alone and this is where RAISE 1k comes to play.”

The wife of the Governor then called on heads of parastatals, banks and companies to allow staff of RAISE Foundation come to their offices to sensitize them so that they can key into the ideas.

Meanwhile the Corporate Executive Officer (CEO) of RAISE Foundation, Mrs. Toyin Dawodu explained that the vision of the foundation was to have a Nigeria where no woman dies of pregnancy related causes.

She disclosed that in the last 3 years the foundation has screened 3,229 women of breast cancer, 2,079 women of cervical cancer in which after screening assistance is given to the positive cases with the appropriate treatment.

The CEO also disclosed that the foundation has intervened in the area of women empowerment, girl child education and reproductive health, adding that the activities of RAISE Foundation are to compliment government effort.