Health Interactive with Dr Aminu  Magashi

The Visit of British Secretary for Development to Nigeria

healthinteractive@hotmail.com

According to a news report ‘ Britain Doubles Aid To Nigeria By 70 Million Pounds published in Daily Trust of Wednesday, September, 8^th, 2004, it was mentioned that Britain  is to double its support giving to Nigeria from present 35 million pounds to 70 million pounds commencing from year 2005. This good omen was disclosed by the visiting British Secretary for State for Development, Rt. Hon. Hillary Benn (MP). He spoke on Tuesday, 8^th, September, 2004 in Abuja at the Nigeria Economic Summit Group meeting. He reportedly mentioned that the aid may further be increased just as the British Government is committed to increase her support to Africa as a whole to 1.25 Billion Pounds by 2007 to 2008. The support will be for both reformers in Africa and for the states which face difficulties.

The secretary who reportedly expressed  appreciation for Nigeria’s role as a powerful advocate for both regional and continental initiatives to strength democracy, reform economics and establish peace and security in Africa and mentioned that the economic blue print of Nigeria, NEEDS and its state version SEEDS will form the basis for support to Nigeria responding to issues identified.

Until his visit, the British government through the secretary’s ministry or Department For International Development ( DFID ) is intervening through a long term projects in 4 states  of Nigeria ( Ekiti State in South West, Jigawa State in North West , Enugu in South East and Benue in North Central ). Some of these states are having the worst developmental indices in the country. For example Jigawa State is having  maternal mortality rate of about 2000 per 100,000 live birth, it is not only among the worst in the country but the entire globe and annoyingly , all the factors attributing to this awesome figure are preventable by using  a simple and cheap intervention of ensuring  safe motherhood across the state.

From Abuja, the secretary on Wednesday, 9^th, September, 2004 moved to Kano state where he had an audience with the Executive Governor of the State, Mal Ibrahim Shekarau on the intention of British Government through DFID to support the state on tackling developmental problems, notable among them  , Girl Child Education and Health Matters. It was reported that the state  governor was receptive and look  forward for a good relationship that will foster positive change in the state and based on the projection, DFID will open office in kano early next year.

After living the government house, Rt. Hon. Hillary Benn (MP) around 12 noon had a one hour round table meeting with some few Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the conference hall of British Council. Among his team for that meeting, were, The Nigeria’s British High Commissioner, The Head of Nigeria’s DFID Office, The Deputy Director Of DFID- West Africa, a Senior Staff at London Office of DFID and Dr Audu Grema, Regional Coordinator, North-DFID who facilitated the meeting. 8 leaders of NGOs were invited for the meeting, the current Commissioner of Women Affairs and  NGO activist, Dr Gaji Dantata who was represented by the permanent secretary of her ministry, Hajiya Rabi Eshak, a former  commissioner of heath  in Jigawa State and Kano Team Leader of Pathfinder International Office , Mal Abdullahi Umar , Leader of Diamond Development Initiative , Eng Y Z Yau , Leader of Center For Information Technology and Development, Dr Mustapha Ismail Hussain, Leader of Center For Human Right In Islam, Barrister Duru Representing Federation of Women Lawyers and Women, Health and Development Network, Hajiya Zainab Suleiman Ahmad , President of Society for Women and AIDS In Africa, Kano State Chapter and my humble self representing Community Health And Research  Initiative.

These were the 8 NGOs leaders that met with the secretary and his team. The meeting focused on the activities of each organization present, challenges being face while implementing programmes, DFID objectives, and its country strategic paper , Millennium Development Goals ( MDGs ) and  Tony Blair Commission for Africa and of course the intending partnership with kano state which will invariably involves the government and other civil societies.

Looking at the Commission for Africa which was launched by British prime minister, Tony Blair in February, 2004 with its first meeting on 4^th, May, 2004 and it is expected that the commission will published its report and recommendation in 2005 and it is believe that the commission will seek to support and encourage best of existing work, in particular the Africa leadership shown through the New Partnership For African Development (NEPAD) and African Union. It will also seek to generate increased support for the full implementation of the G 8 African action plan.

However based on the plan of the commission for Africa , we expect it to be transparent in its work and carry beneficiaries along in designing and implementation and of course to make information available to stakeholders. Other aspect of MDGs that came up in the interaction was the Global Polio Eradication Programme and maternal mortality rate. A lot of information came up from the NGOs present as to why the polio eradication suffered and is still suffering a set back in some part of the country, some of the problems identified, have to do with poor advocacy by government and international partners, and lack of sustain commitment by stakeholders in provision of routine immunization to the remaining childhood preventable immunisable killer diseases.

On the issue of maternal mortality rate which its reduction is among the goals to be achieved by 2015, it was observed  by one of the discussant that one of the major complication of pregnancy that contributes about 50 % of the high maternal mortality rate in some northern states like Jigawa, Bauchi, Kano, Borno, Katsina  to mention but few is Eclampsia ( Pregnancy Induced Hypertension ) and unfortunately despite its contribution to that high rate of death among pregnant women, it is not receiving the desired attention by government, partners and NGOs.

While I welcome DFID to kano and looking at the contribution the body is providing in Jigawa, Ekiti, Enugu And Benue as well as other federal government projects, I believe similar commitment will be extended to kano project and I urge the body before commencing its intervention to have a wider consultation and relate and work with civil societies, networks of NGOs and government partners in designing their intervention. That way, it will ensure transparency and result oriented and community owned programme. The Girl Child Education Intervention which  I nurture it to be looking at not only girl-child at primary and secondary schools but also those female children that are hawking in the streets who are at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and HIV and also vulnerable to unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion.

On the issue of health intervention, I envisage the need for DFID and state and LGAs  and NGOs to work harmoniously to ensure at least one functional and equipped maternal health unit in each LGA and supposedly each community. As we all know that no society will progress and develop while abandoning its women perishing as a result of complication of pregnancy, labour and puerperium.

Dr Magashi is Executive Director, Community Health and Research Initiative, kano Nigeria .