The Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, has declared that delivery by skilled birth attendants is now compulsory in the FCT.
Dr Fasawe made the announcement in Abuja on Wednesday during a capacity development training for health managers in the territory.
She lamented that Nigeria was being labelled the maternal mortality capital of the world, and said the FCT was determined to change this narrative by ensuring no woman dies as a result of childbirth.
“It is compulsory that you deliver your baby with a skilled birth attendant,” she stated.
“There’s no reason for anyone to die due to child delivery, and we are facing it head-on. We identify pregnant women, provide them with health insurance, and they return to share their experience with others.”
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Free Health Insurance for Pregnant Women
Dr Fasawe revealed that the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, had declared free health insurance for every pregnant woman in the FCT, eliminating financial barriers to accessing maternal healthcare.
She urged all pregnant women to take advantage of the free healthcare package, which includes services such as caesarean sections, provided through Family Health Centres across the territory.
“Simply go to the nearest family healthcare centre, register, and access free healthcare,” she advised.
Operational Planning Backed by Sector-Wide Approach
The Mandate Secretary further explained that the initiative was being executed in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and coordinated under the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) framework.
“SWAp is where we consolidate all our health sector needs into one pool, and another pool matches those needs with available resources,” she said.
“If data shows a rise in a particular health issue in a community, we allocate resources from that basket to address the challenge directly.”
Fasawe added that the training programme was part of a broader plan to build rational, realistic, and evidence-driven health plans that would inform budgeting and service delivery in the FCT.
Towards a Healthier, Resilient Capital Territory
She emphasised that this effort reflects the FCTA’s commitment to building a healthier and more resilient FCT that could serve as a model for other states and contribute to the National One Health strategy.
“This underscores a shared vision for an FCT where maternal mortality is no longer tolerated and where health systems are built around the needs of the people,” Fasawe concluded.