The Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Kaduna State branch has expressed concern over insecurity in the country, appealing for more urgent actions from the Federal Government
The association expressed the concern in Kaduna on Saturday, at its 8th Biennial Conference and Annual General Meeting, held in Kaduna.
The branch President, Dr Anisah Yahya, said that the theme of the conference, “Insecurity: A Growing Epidemic within a Pandemic” was chosen to drive discussions on the disturbing security challenges.
Yahya said that the development was impacting negatively on the country’s healthcare delivery systems and disrupting the needed peace for sustainable development.
According to her, no nation will develop in an atmosphere of insecurity, stressing that the security challenge was impacting on the nation’s health system.
“We know that the federal and state governments are doing all that they can to address the challenge, but more need to be done.
“We are calling for more concerted efforts to address the insecurity that is compounding the healthcare delivery system and threatening health security in the country.”
The Kaduna State Commissioner of Health, Dr Amina Mohammed-Baloni commended MWAN for driving discussions on insecurity and COVID-19 pandemic, with a view to finding a lasting solution to the challenge.
Mohammed-Baloni, who was represented by Dr Joseph Sunday, the Director, Planning Research and Statistics, noted that insecurity had posed a significant threat to effective healthcare delivery in the country.
She called on all Nigerians and relevant stakeholders to support ongoing efforts by the federal and state governments to address the security challenges.
In a keynote address, Dr Abubabakar Zakari, UN Security Officer, described security as “a protection of freedom and absence of fear”, adding that both COVID-19 and insecurity kills and displaced victims.
Zakari said that the insecurity and the pandemic had impacted adversely on human security, restricting movement of people; difficult to manage and require a huge budget to contain.
According to him, this poses a huge threat to human security, environmental, food, personal, political, and economic security.
The Chairperson Central Organising Committee, Dr Zainab Muhammad-Idris, said that the association would continue to provide platforms to discuss tropical national issues as part of contribution to finding solutions. (NAN)
