Steering Committee Targets Stronger Male Support for Mothers, Children

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

The Benue State Government, in collaboration with UN Women, has inaugurated a State Steering Committee on Male Engagement in Antenatal Care (ANC), Postnatal Care (PNC) and Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) to address social norms that hinder men’s participation in maternal and child healthcare.

The committee will serve as the state’s highest coordinating and oversight body for implementing interventions that encourage men and boys to take more active roles in maternal health, HIV prevention, reproductive health, mental health and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) response.
Inaugurating the committee in Makurdi on behalf of Governor Hyacinth Alia, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs. Deborah Aber, described the initiative as a major step towards improving maternal and child health outcomes and strengthening family wellbeing across Benue.
She explained that the committee comprises representatives from government ministries, traditional institutions, religious organisations, civil society groups, the media and development partners to ensure an inclusive and coordinated response.
According to Aber, greater male participation in maternal and child healthcare will not only help reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV but also strengthen family support systems and improve community health outcomes.
She observed that many women continue to face health and emotional challenges, including postpartum depression, without adequate support from their partners, stressing that the initiative would enable men to better understand and participate in the healthcare journey of their wives and children.
The SSG charged members of the committee to provide strategic leadership, guidance and oversight for the successful implementation of the programme, while assigning the Commissioner for Health and Human Services to coordinate the initiative on behalf of the state government.
Speaking on behalf of the UN Women Country Representative, Mrs. Beatrice Eyong, the Deputy Representative, Mrs. Patience Ekeoba, described the inauguration as the beginning of a movement that recognises men as vital partners and champions of maternal, newborn and family health.
Ekeoba said evidence has shown that maternal and child health can no longer be viewed as the sole responsibility of women, noting that recent findings indicate that fewer than four per cent of men are actively involved in pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care.
She explained that the steering committee emerged from a four-day training organised by UN Women and its partners for community leaders and health workers, during which participants unanimously agreed on the need for a platform to sustain advocacy and implementation efforts.
The UN Women official commended the Benue State Government for supporting the initiative, revealing that more than 13 step-down trainings have already been conducted in communities, health facilities and media organisations since the initial training held in May.
Also speaking, the UNAIDS representative, Mr. Gabriel Undelikwo, praised the state’s leadership, stressing that families achieve better health outcomes when men actively support women and children. He reaffirmed UNAIDS’ commitment to partnering with Benue in advancing public health interventions.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, said male engagement in maternal and child health has become imperative because of the influence of cultural norms and family structures on healthcare decisions. He pledged the ministry’s continued support through policy direction, coordination and monitoring.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Benue State Bureau for International Cooperation and Development (BICD), Dr. Leo-Angelo Viashima, urged traditional and religious leaders to champion the campaign in their communities, marriage counselling sessions and places of worship.
He noted that many men remain absent throughout their wives’ journey from pregnancy to childbirth, stressing that preventing HIV transmission to infants and achieving positive outcomes for mothers and children requires greater male participation throughout pregnancy and delivery.
Viashima expressed confidence in the composition of the committee, saying, “The beautiful thing with the High Level Engagement Committee is that the SSG, as Chairman of the committee, is a woman, and she will direct the process and ensure that the men who are co-chairing with her do the right thing.
“To the traditional rulers and religious leaders, this doesn’t end here. Our intention is to take this campaign to our communities through traditional institutions, churches and Muslim gatherings.”
Providing an overview of the initiative, UN Women Programme Officer, Mr. Martin Mary, lamented Nigeria’s low male participation rate of 3.4 per cent in maternal healthcare services.
He expressed optimism that the programme would strengthen policy support, improve multisectoral coordination, increase male participation in ANC, PNC and PMTCT services, enhance resource mobilisation and deepen collaboration among government, communities and development partners.
In his closing remarks, the Director of Programmes, Benue State SDGs, Mr. Terver Yager, described the inauguration as the beginning of an important journey towards transforming social norms, strengthening families and improving health outcomes.
He called for collective action among stakeholders to ensure that men and boys become active partners in promoting the wellbeing of women, children and communities across Benue State.
The event ended with renewed commitments from traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations and development partners to intensify community mobilisation and awareness campaigns aimed at promoting male engagement as a key strategy for improving maternal, newborn and child health outcomes in the state.