Protection of Women and Girl Child Rights stresses

The Director of the National Population Commission NPC,in adamawa Alhaji Abubakar Hamma’adama   says all hands should be on deck to ensure that the health and rights of women and girl child are protected.

The Director started this in his office in Yola while briefing journalist as part of activities marking the twenty-twenty World Population day with the Theme Putting the Brakes on Covid-nineteen, how to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls now.

The detail of the briefing are presented by Alhaji Abubakar Hamma’adama explained that the World Population Day is part of international awareness campaign and it is held annually to focus global attention on the urgency and importance of population issues Universally.

He further explained that the annual celebration of the World Population Day offers the population Commission an opportunity to take stock of the population issues especially as the concern women and the girl child, as well as ensuring that their fundamental human rights are upheld.

While lamenting on this year’s world population day celebration, which is hampered by the corona virus pandemic Alhaji Hamma’adama  said the whole world is saddled with the scourge of the Covid-nineteen pandemic and it’s damming consequences at this critical time.

The Director noted that Covid-nineteen has directly affected as well as paralyzed economic activities in both the formal and informal sectors, adding that the UN Secretary General has express worry on the economic impact which is being felt more by women and girls.

He said some of the adverse effects of Covid-nineteen pandemic on women and girls include undermining of the Nutritional of women, leading toward ailments like anemia, increase in maternal mortality and poor birth outcome as a result of obstruction of access to health facilities. The population Director the Covid-nineteen has led to low contraceptive use and unmet needs in the states, adding that it has also contributed in the increase of gender base violence such as rape as well as physical and emotional assault on women and girls.

He commended the government for coming up with programs to mitigate some of these side effects that affect the right of women and girl child, such as Better Education Service Delivery BASDA, aimed at reducing the number of out of school children in seventeen states.          Alhaji Hamma’adama said others include Strengthen of health system to respond to Covid-nineteen pandemic laboratories, Covid- nineteen Stimulus package of about two point three trillions to cushion the effect of pandemic on the economy as well as contributions to family planning programs.

The Director reiterated the population commission’s commitment    to generating demographic, health and social economic data for championing the course of all especially women and girls as well as advising Government on related issues and reviews the National policy on population and sustainable development.