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LASAM, Stakeholders Demand Full Release, Implementation of Lagos Health Budget

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By Martins Ifijeh of This Day Following the high maternal, newborn mortality rates and other health issues common to Nigeria, the Lagos State Accountability Mechanism for Maternal and Newborn Health (LASAM) and other stakeholders in the healthcare sector have called on the Lagos State government to release and implement in full health allocation in the 2018 state budget. Stating this during the Health Budget Financing Dialogue held in Lagos recently, and organised by LASAM, in collaboration with Save the Children International, Development Communications Network, MamaYe-Evidence for Action, among others, the stakeholders said with full release and implementation of budgeted funds, the poor healthcare indices in the country will gain attention. The stakeholders said the call became imperative as records show that despite the low budgeted allocation to health, only certain percentage of the health allocation is released. Speaking on behalf of Pharmaccess, ...

Breaking-Lagos Health Financing Dialogue: Stakeholders demand maximum release and implementation of health Sector budgets

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By Innocent Onoh Amidst disturbing child and maternal mortality, governments in Nigeria , especially Lagos State, have been urged to respect the sanctity of life by ensuring maximum release and implementation of budgetary allocation to health. This was the unanimous opinion of representatives of different non governmental organisations and other stakeholders in the health sector at state, national and global levels. They spoke during the Lagos State Health Financing Dialogue, organised by Lagos State Accountability Mechanism for Maternal and Newborn Health (LASAM) in collaboration with Save the Children International, Development Communications Network, MamaYe-Evidence for Action among others. According to the Organisations, the call became imperative as records have shown that eventhough governments in the country have fallen short of meeting the recommended percentage of budget to health, they were also notorious for not fully releasing the amount they approved for t...

Health Insurance panacea for Lagos maternal mortality scourge--Stakeholders insist

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Some stakeholders in the health sector including Civil Society Executives, have once again called on Lagos State government to urgently start the implimentation of it's 2015 Health Scheme  Law which makes it mandatory for all Lagosians to have a health insurance coverage at affordable cost, describing it as a panacea for the alarming child and maternal mortality in the state. The Lagos based health stakeholders spoke based on the recently released scorecard for the state ,produced by the Lagos State Accountability Mechanism for Maternal and Newborn Health (SLAMS) in February, 2018 with support from MamaYe - Evidence for Action. Adebusoye Compared to previous years, the scorecard indicators, show performance especially in Public Health Facilities in Lagos but scarcity and sometimes  high cost of essential Services including family planning consumables, were identified as stumbling blocks. For instance, while only 13percent of women aged between 15 and 49 used ...

Lagos begins 2018 Measles Campaign, targets over 3 million children

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Onanuga Over three million children between 9 months and 5 years will be immunised against measles in Lagos State from  15 to 29 March.  for children    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr Olufemi Onanuga  who  made  this known at a news briefing in Alausa Ikeja stated that the  2018 Measles vaccination campaign  would be held in two streams in all Local Government and Local Council Development Areas in the State. Dr. Onanuga explained that the first stream of the measles vaccination would cover Alimosho, Agege, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin ,Epe, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Mushin and Ojo local government areas between  Thursday this week   and  next week  Thursday w hile the second stream would commence on    Thursday 22nd and Thursday 29th of March ,  in Apapa, Badagry, Eti-Osa, Ibeju-Lekki, Ikeja, Ifako-Ijaiye, kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu and...

Lagosians zip up!

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 ON APRIL 15, 20185:37 “Leave me alone o, don’t kill me this woman! Are you not concerned about the three girls God has given us already? Are those not children? What do you want to do with more? Are you going to sell them? Can’t you feel the harshness of life in Nigeria today? It is enough please.”  These were the angry words of Joseph Okagbaro as he and his wife, Jolaade, engaged in a heated argument.  “What is enough? It is not enough.   Am I complaining? Tomorrow, your mother will say I did not give birth to a baby boy and that your family name will be lost.   I am not yet done with childbearing,” Jolaade fired back.   This scenario is commonplace in many Nigerian homes. Many families are unable to pay for quality healthcare, provide three square meals, comfortable home and sound education for their children.  Family Planning class It is not unconnected with the economic challenges the nation is facing.   ...

Deaths, as mothers ditch antenatal care

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Published    April 12, 2018   Antenatal care (ANC) coverage in the African region, including Nigeria, remains poor; that is occasioned by low awareness, out-of-pocket payment for care, belief in home birth, as well the traditional delivery system, among others. Experts say embracing ANC will reduce deaths of mothers and babies.  APPOLONI  A ADEYEMI reports A pregnant Kenyan woman was hit by sad news after losing five babies in one day following the birth of her quintuplets. The 30-year-old woman Jacintah Akinyi who gave birth to rare naturally-conceived quintuplets in Kenya in November last year, was reported to have lost all the five babies, according to a hospital in the south-west of the country. Akinyi who is already the mother of four children, and lost a fifth in an earlier pregnancy, did not know she was carrying five babies in that pregnancy. She however, went into labour and gave birth to two babies at home, who b...