Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, has donated a drug bank to the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in Nigeria.
The facility will provide free medicines and delivery materials to indigent patients in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Pediatric Pharmacy units.
At the inauguration ceremony, Dr. Cole Ayodele, National Coordinator for the Seyi Tinubu Maternal and Child Health Intervention Scheme, emphasized the project’s goal: “to reduce the rate of maternal and infant mortality in Nigeria.”
He noted that Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate stands at 1,047 per 100,000 live births, with infant mortality at 54.74 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Ayodele highlighted the staggering statistics: “A Nigerian woman has a one in 22 lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy, childbirth, or immediate postpartum/post-abortion period. Our maternal mortality is about the 4th highest in the world, with nearly 20% of global maternal deaths occurring in Nigeria.”
The initiative aims to attain and surpass the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, targeting a maternal mortality ratio of less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. The project will provide free drugs and delivery supplies to 10,000 indigent patients monthly and establish similar schemes in 60 tertiary hospitals nationwide.
UCH’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, praised the initiative, promising the hospital’s cooperation to ensure its success. Seyi Tinubu also awarded a N1 million scholarship to Dr. Ifeoma Ude, a Senior Registrar in Pediatrics, to support her fellowship program.
