First Lady Kartumu Boakai has echoed the need to prevent maternal neonatal mortality in women and girls.
Madam Boakai said healthcare equality is not a solitary battle waged in distant lands saying that it is a global crusade that requires collective strength, wisdom, and empathy adding that healthcare is a right for all and not a luxury for the few.
She noted that the tide against despair in such fight will usher in an era of health and prosperity for all.
The First Lady of Liberia stressed that it is curial to embark on a crusade against the preventable tragedies that befall mothers and infants stating that the shadow of maternal and neonatal mortality looms large in Liberia with mothers perishing at a staggering rate of 742 per 100,000 live births and our newborns at 37 per 1,000.
"Today, as we mark the celebration of World Health Day, we reaffirmed our relentless commitment to this creed, and to our beloved country Liberia, a nation resilient and glorious yet tested by trials that weigh heavy on our hearts. As the First Lady of the Republic of Liberia, l accept with solemn duty and fervent passion my role as the Chief Maternal Newborn Health Champion. I implore each one of you, within the sound of my voice and beyond, to join us against the darkness of uncertainty," Madam Kartumu Boakai added.
She furthered, "We need to unite as a global village to bring an end to maternal and neonatal mortality and rally together, for no mother should lose her life while bringing another into this world. We gather here, in this hallow hall, to pledge that these young lights will not fade in vain. Let us be the generation that defies the odds, that turns the tide that declares with one voice: 'Not one more mother, not one more child, will we lose on our watch. Our theme, "My Health, My Right," invites us to rise to the challenge."
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The Chief Maternal Newborn Health Champion stressed the need of bold and decisive steps, utilizing the Sustainable Development Goals as compass to safeguard the lives of women, children, and adolescents.
At the same time, Madam Kartumu Boakai is calling for an unyielding commitment to universal health coverage and the establishment of a National Health Insurance Scheme, ensuring that no one is left behind thus encouraging Liberians to engage communities and allies, to dismantle the barriers that delay life-saving care.
"When a child in Liberia suffers, it is a whisper of conscience to the world. When we heal a mother, we do not just save a life; we uplift humanity. In unity, with strategic partnerships and the full dedication of the Liberian Government, our nation stands poised to fulfill its promise of health and well-being for all," Madam Boakai noted.
Meanwhile, the First Lady is admonishing a weave of a new story of global health-one of hope, resilience, and the triumph of human courage.
She spoke at program making the observance of World Health Day celebration at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town.
