FG moves to strengthen women’s health services
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health (OSSAP-WH) have begun plans to coordinate interventions to address challenges affecting Nigerian women.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr Adanna Steinacker, disclosed this during a meeting with a coalition of women leaders, representatives of women’s groups and NGOs in Abuja on Tuesday.
Newsmen reports that the meeting was convened by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and facilitated by OSSAP-WH.
Steinacker said her office was adopting a nationwide approach to ensure that women’s health is prioritised in national development.
According to her, OSSAP-WH was launched by President Bola Tinubu on September 11, 2025, alongside its mandate, RenewHER.
She explained that RenewHER stands for Health, Equity and Reform, and is designed to coordinate policies relating to women’s health in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Women’s Affairs.
“The decision to do that is based on the understanding that there is a wide knowledge gap in the country when it comes to the health of women and girls.
“There is a lack of knowledge on how to access and understand the services the government has provided.
“We are prioritising digital media as a means to disseminate accurate, evidence-based information that increases the health literacy of our population.”
She said the second pillar focuses on geopolitically anchored campaigns implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to identify and address priority issues in various regions.
“The third is the organisation of coalitions, symposia and summits to build a collaborative network that advances women’s health in Nigeria,” she added.
Steinacker emphasised that the Federal Ministry of Health was determined to break down institutional silos and approach women’s health as a shared national agenda.
Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, pledged the readiness of her office to support initiatives that would advance women’s health and wellbeing.
