A non-governmental and non-profit organisation, Support Towards Advancement, Networking and Development For Women and Children (STAND Foundation) has launched a project known as the “STAND delivery kit” to support the advancement of the health of women and children.
The project was launched at the NGO’s secretariat, at General Gas Estate, Ibadan to commemorate the International Women’s Day celebration which the world celebrates March 8 every year.
The project, according to the NGO’s founder, Barr. Olusayo Adeleye, was initiated because “maternal mortality is a major issue for women and many have issues because they either have limited or no access to healthcare services or they cannot afford the requirements for a safe, clean delivery, especially those living in the rural areas.”
“We will thus be distributing kits to pregnant women as part of our effort towards reducing maternal and neo-natal mortality rate especially in areas where there is little or no acess to basic medical facilities,” she revealed.
She explained that in line with this year’s IWD theme, “Think Equal, Feel better, Innovate for change #Balance for better,” STAND Foundation believes that a balanced world is a better world and there can never be a gender-balanced world if women do not have good health.
“Everyone has a role to play in forging gender parity because gender balance is not just a women’s issue but an economic issue. For women to take their position in ensuring a balanced world, they need to have good health,” she added.
Speaking further Adeleye regretted that many women and children were losing their lives to preventable health problems.
She said: “The World Health Organisation reports that everyday, approximately 830 women die from preventable pregnancy related diseases and 90% of maternal deaths occur in developing countries. Record also shows that maternal and neo-natal mortality is higher in women living in rural areas because there is limited or no access to healthcare facilities and lives of many mothers and babies are lost due to infections that arise from birth in unsanitary conditions.”
She said the unfortunate situation prompted STAND foundation to respond with the STAND delivery kit with consists of disposable basic sterile supplies for safe child birth, to prevent infection and save the lives of both mother and child.
“The delivery kits we are distributing will help in achieving part of the Suistanable Development Goals (SDGs), which includes reduction in global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100, 000 live births between 2016 and 2030”, she stated.
Thanking co-sponsors – Stanza Farms, Iwo; Oduola Global Investments and other well-meaning Nigerians – she called on more people to partner with the NGO because the plan is to distribute the delivery kit throughout the year in as many communities as possible in Oyo State and eventually across the nation.
She explained that while the project will be sustained beyond 2019, she reiterated that STAND Foundation will embark on other programmes that touch on issues of life in the course of the year.
The official unveling was done by the local government chairman of Akinyele South Local Government Area, Honourable Olumide Ali who promised to support the project and ensure that his local government partners with the NGO to achieve their goals.
“I believe with this initiative, we will be able to save a lot of live, a lot of children that will have died during child birth, this will help to reduce maternal and neo-natal mortality rate,” he said during an interview on the sidelines.
Alli donated notebooks which can be use for birth attendance in clinics.
Also speaking at the event, the Chief Operating Officer Beth-Zion Ventures, Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare, said: “We are moving to a very exciting time in history where the world now expects gender balance and parity but if women continue to suffer from aviodable diseases and lose their lives unnecessarily, what is the essence of the economic advancement they now enjoy? In 2017, we were told to be bold for change while we were told to press for progress during the 2018 celebration of the International Women’s Day.
“And now, in 2019, we have been called to continue to play a critical role in helping forge a more gender-balanced world as we work towards the theme, Balance for Better, this is why we are advocating the eradication of maternal mortality in our rural communities as women there are more susceptible to these deaths. Consequently, we will be going to rural communities from next week to distribute the delivery kits.
“We will be going to communities like Kufi, Adeyipo and Jagun Aba Oje among other villages in Igbo Elerin district of Lagelu Local Government Area. We will also get to some communities in Akinyele Local Government Area and Akufo in Ido Local Government Area. We have visited these villages and identified them as core areas where the kits will help save lives. By next year’s International Women’s day, we will assess how far we have gone and what else we can do to reduce maternal and neo-natal deaths.”
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NIGERIA 
