Nigeria Health Watch is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the second edition of the 'Celebrating Womanhood Art Gala' themed "Elevating Women's Voices for Quality Maternal Healthcare". The art gala is scheduled to take place in Abuja on the 24th of March 2023, as part of the activities to commemorate International Women's Month. The theme acknowledges that women's perspectives, insights, needs and experiences are frequently overlooked in decision-making, policy design and implementation. The art gala aims to advocate for maternal health programmes and services that incorporate and centre women's experiences and perspectives to improve the quality of maternal care.
Nigeria Health Watch held its first #HealthMeetsArt, Celebrating Womanhood Art Gala in 2021. Art has been used to record history, shape culture, cultivate imagination, and encourage individual and social transformation. Recognising this, the organisation will use creative art to raise awareness and motivate stakeholders to take action on maternal health and other gender-related issues.
The gala will allow guests to participate both physically and virtually through the Nigeria Health Watch website and social media platforms, allowing art lovers and interested stakeholders from around the world to interact with the artwork. The art gala is being organised with support from the National Gallery of Art (NGA) and Female Artists Association of Nigeria (FEAAN) who have curated art pieces from selected female artists.
The Celebrating Womanhood art gala aims to bring together stakeholders from various sectors to raise awareness and provide a platform for discussion on maternal health in Nigeria, as we understand that issues relating to maternal health affect individuals from various sectors directly or indirectly.
Nigeria's maternal mortality rate remains a public health concern. According to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2018, 512 women die per 100,000 live births. Accounting for 20% of global maternal deaths, the high number of women who die while giving life calls for immediate attention and collaboration by all stakeholders (including the private sector, public agencies, civil society organisations, donors, and multinationals) in order to change the current negative outcomes of women when giving birth in Nigeria.
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"Progress in ensuring that quality improvements are incorporated into maternal healthcare service delivery will be impossible unless women's voices and experiences are heard when developing policies," said Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch.
According to MSD for Mothers, "A woman's perception of the care she receives is an integral part of her clinical experience and therefore, an important consideration in improving the quality of maternity care. Maternity care that focuses on women's needs and treats women respectfully is likely to lead to greater satisfaction as well as better and more equitable health outcomes".
