As Founder-president of The Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), Her Excellency Mrs. Toyin Ojora Saraki is a Nigerian philanthropist with two decades of advocacy covering maternal, newborn and child health; ending gender-based discrimination and violence and improving education, socio-economic empowerment and community livelihoods in Africa.
Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH)
WASH
Midwifery
Primary Healthcare
Maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) is the largest component of 3MDG’s activities, covering maternal and newborn health, child health, immunization, nutrition, and health promotion.
“We in the global health and development communities cannot allow mothers and newborns to die from preventable and unnecessary complications, simply because the most basic of WASH services are not available. Hand hygiene must be a quality indicator in every facility and a national marker of health care quality, with access to soap and water monitored and assessed”.
2020 marks the Year of the Nurse and Midwife. Her Excellency Toyin Saraki was appointed Global Goodwill Ambassador to the International Confederation of Midwives in 2014, and as such, she advocates for resources and support for, and awareness and recruitment of midwives on a global scale.
Maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) is the largest component of 3MDG’s activities, covering maternal and newborn health, child health, immunization, nutrition, and health promotion.
The WBFA and its partners are committed to improving WASH in healthcare facilities, schools and communities in Nigeria and around the world. WBFA midwives will be given a global platform to share their WASH experiences to further the above roadmap, and to campaign on a national level for improved WASH in HCF. WBFA Midwives will lead WASH training in MamaCare classes and visit healthcare facilities to advocate for WASH. The Founder-President will use her global platform to promote the above roadmap and work to promote WBFA programmes and advocacy goals.
In May 2018, WBFA Founder-President H.E. Mrs Toyin Ojora Saraki launched a global WASH campaign in Abuja at a meeting with Dr. Wondi Alemu, WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Nigeria. Mrs Saraki announced that the WBFA would work with partners including Global Water 2020, an initiative based in Washington D.C. which is designed to accelerate progress toward water access and security for all people in developing countries, with a particular focus on increasing the availability of WASH in healthcare centres.
A key element of that partnership is advocacy for improved WASH standards, both in Nigeria and round the world.
To that end, in June 2018 Mrs Saraki led a delegation to Washington D.C. to take part in multi-lateral meetings with the US State Department, the World Bank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the American Academy of Sciences and members of the United States Congress. The visit as intended as both an information gathering exercise and to engender a new spirit of co-operation on WASH. Each meeting highlighted the extent of the challenge.
For instance, World Bank Data revealed that in Nigeria, WASH indices have actually suffered an alarming decline from an already critical condition. Access to piped water on premises in urban areas dropped from 30% in 1990, to less than 10% in 2015, and for Nigeria to achieve the WASH SDGs, it must invest at least three times more than it does today.
The WBFA’s MamaCare midwives have taken up the mantle of improved WASH standards to their antenatal and postnatal classes, and advocate strongly to staff at the healthcare facilities at which they give their classes.
In August, as the United Nations marked International Youth Day, the WBFA took its pioneering PSHE and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) education programme to schoolchildren in Ogun State, Nigeria.
The WBFA’s programme is based on its Adolescent Skills and Drills, Personal Social and Health Education Curriculum, the first locally-developed PSHE curriculum, which is formed of three core pillars – Your Rights and Your Body, Health Relationships, and Planning Your Future. Within those main areas an extensive range of topics pertinent to the health and wellbeing of young people are covered, with a focus on WASH.
The cohort of children, aged between 8 and 17 years old, were taught the WHO standard of hand washing techniques in addition to further break-out sessions, in line with the commitment of the WBFA to support the attainment of UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. This pilot, which took place over two days, educated 237 children at the Ogun State Summer Camp, before an anticipated roll-out across the state and throughout Nigeria.
The WBFA launched its global WASH campaign alongside the WHO and in partnership with Global Water 2020. It also works with Governments and States to implement WASH programmes and instigate change.
In September 2018 the WBFA partnered with Unilever Lifebuoy Nigeria and Sightsavers to improve hygiene practices to impact more than 2 million children over the following 12 months. As part of Unilever’s relaunch of Lifebuoy in Nigeria, the WBFA joined new brand Ambassador, renowned Afro-pop singer-songwriter Omawumi, in Lifebuoy’s global Help a Child Reach 5 campaign.
The partnership works on programmes which promote hygiene messages and prevent disease, advancing critical hygiene interventions such as handwashing with soap, addressing the issue of child illnesses and mortality due to preventable diseases.
More than 215,000 children under the age of five in Nigeria die to preventable infections like diarrhoea and pneumonia each year – the highest across Africa. The simple act of handwashing with soap is one the most cost-effective, yet often overlooked ways that could have prevented many of these deaths.
Her Excellency Toyin Saraki was appointed Global Goodwill Ambassador to the International Confederation of Midwives in 2014, and as such, she advocates for resources and support for, and awareness and recruitment of midwives on a global scale.
2020 marks the Year of the Nurse and Midwife
Midwives are at the heart of actions to improve maternal, newborn and child health. Because midwives and nurses devote their lives to caring for mothers and children by giving lifesaving immunizations and health advice; the World Health Organization is marking 2020 the Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
Her Excellency believes we must recognise, respect, retain, remunerate and increase resources for midwives. She joins the ICM in commemorating the year with a focus on celebrating, demonstrating, mobilising and uniting. Together with ICM, Her Excellency will demonstrate through evidence the impact of midwives and the case for investing in midwives. She is mobilising midwives, midwives’ associations, women’s groups and the wider global community to advocate for midwife-led care. Lastly, she is uniting midwives and women towards a common goal of gender equality.
Maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) is the largest component of 3MDG’s activities, covering maternal and newborn health, child health, immunization, nutrition, and health promotion.
Today, on International Women’s Day, I was honoured to virtually provide the goodwill speech at the 2024 National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies International Women’s Day Celebration!
Under the exemplary leadership of the Director-General, Professor Abubakar Suleiman, a veritable ‘He4She’ who has significantly contributed to uplifting Nigeria – NILDS has been a steadfast champion for gender equality and inclusion, providing essential support and resources to engender women in overcoming obstacles and achieving their full potential. From advocating for women’s rights to promoting women’s representation in governance, NILDS has been at the forefront of driving meaningful change and creating opportunities for women to excel.
As a Member of the UN Women African Women’s Leadership Network and serving on the Steering Council of the African Women Leadership Network Nigeria, I stand witness to the spirit of African and Nigerian women and their integral role in shaping our nation’s democratic evolution. By channelling the principles of aspirational agendas such as the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa Women, Girls & Gender Development Target actions encapsulate a vision which recognises and empowers the birth-to-age rights of women and girls.
With Senior Leadership from the Wellbeing Foundation Africa in attendance, we gathered under the theme “Inspire Inclusion,” and were reminded of the importance of recognising and celebrating the contributions of both men and women towards the empowerment of Nigerian women and their increased participation in governance.
This #IWD2024 celebration led by NILDS highlighted the progress we have made while acknowledging the work that still lies ahead. When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world, and when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging and empowerment. Collectively, let’s forge a more inclusive world for women.
Happy #InternationalWomensDay!
The ‘MamaCare’ midwives of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa deliver classes in primary healthcare centres, hospitals, and at Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, which are a peace and security frontline for displaced, vulnerable and traumatised women and their infants. Despite dire mortality rates in Nigeria – where women face around a one in thirteen risks of maternal mortality in their lifetime – we have not lost even one of our over 250,000 MamaCare mothers during childbirth.
Our MamaCare midwives have achieved this not only by providing classes to a global standard – orienting health-seeking behaviour and improving Nigeria’s progress towards the WHO benchmark recommendation of at least 8 antenatal visits which the Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s Reproductive Health Lifeprint achieves – but also because they act as even more than lifesavers. They provide safe spaces and safe conversations: no subject is taboo or off-limits. They can only do this because they are part of the community that they serve. Too often, global institutions have faced push-back when trying to deliver services – examples that stand out to me include vaccinations and family planning provisions – because they attempt to do so as outsiders, without the trust of a community.
Placing midwives at the centre of our work gave us an army of professional community counsellors which has helped to drive the behavioural change to make women an empowered and informed partner. Midwives are the interlocutors between our Foundation, its aims, and women.
Early and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life is the single most important nutritional determinant for child survival. Yet, in Nigeria, where more than 800,000 children under the age of five die each year, a majority of new mothers do not engage in optimal breastfeeding practice. Nationwide, only 33% of children are breastfed within the first hour of birth, and only 17% are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. Furthermore, poor infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices contribute to the prevalence of stunting (37%), wasting (18%), and underweight children (29%) throughout the country.
The Wellbeing Foundation Africa is an implementing partner for the Alive and Thrive Infant and Young Children Feeding and Nutrition Initiative, alongside our partners FHI 360 and Save the Children International, with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in 550 facilities in Lagos and Kaduna states.
As implementing partners for Alive and Thrive, we joined together to save lives, prevent illness, stunting and malnutrition, and to ensure the healthy growth and development of infants and young children through improved breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices. We do so through a four-pronged approach: advising on policy and conducting advocacy; interpersonal communication and community mobilization; mass communication; and the strategic use of data.
Our advocacy includes promoting exclusive breastfeeding infants for the child’s first six months to achieve optimal growth, development and health; and thereafter giving them nutritious complementary foods whilst continuing to breastfeed up to the age of two years and beyond. The advantages as we know are multiple and include a lower risk of gastrointestinal infection for the baby, more rapid maternal weight loss after birth, and delayed return of menstrual periods.
We acknowledge and appreciate the support of all respected and esteemed friends and associates from all walks of life, including many others that we may have forgotten to mention.
Perhaps you sent a lovely card, or sat quietly in a chair, perhaps you sent beautiful flowers. If so, we saw them there. Perhaps you sent or spoke kind words and prayers, as any friend could say; perhaps you were not there at all, just thought of us that day. Whatever you did to console the heart, we thank you so much, whatever the part.
Your kindness provided a soothing balm to the tragedy that Prince Adedapo’s sudden departure represents to us. Adedapo was our warrior Prince, our symbol of courage, bravery, valour and peace, who has gone to meet our ancestors.
It is within our sober knowledge and wisdom that in every sunshine, a little rain must fall. We thank you for standing by us in our time of sorrow and we pray that Almighty God will continue to bless you all.
Respectfully, and with grateful appreciation,
Adeyinka Adekunle Ojora and Toyin Ojora Saraki
On behalf of the Ojora Royal Family of Lagos.
MaternalMonday is a simple and effective advocacy campaign of The Wellbeing Foundation Africa to remind and encourage mothers and their healthcare givers that for a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery, every mother should deliver her baby in a properly equipped medical facility, attended by a skilled and qualified midwife with access to appropriate medical referral to a doctor and/or surgeon.
Wellbeing for Women supports young advocates as they give life to new solutions.
Harnessing the best and brightest minds in International Development, Wellbeing for Women mentors, supports and amplifies the unique voices of our Youth Partners to make a tangible impact in any decision-making space.
The e-health check tool is available for free at https://covid19.wbfafrica.org/ and users can access real-time updates on how to stay connected, safe, and healthy during the pandemic on Instagram and Twitter @Wellbeing_PPMD, and @WellbeingPPMD on Facebook.
