By Olusegun Olanrewaju
The Lagos State branch of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN) has called on all its registered members to rally to tackle the health challenges of women and children in society.
It also appealed to female medical doctors and dentists, as well as professional female associations and well-meaning female bodies and organisations in Lagos State to collaborate in tackling the health challenges of women and children through healing practices rooted in love and motherhood.
Speaking at a fund-raising and investiture ceremony, the new President of the Lagos branch of MWAN, Dr Funmilayo Ige, said on behalf of the 2023-2025 Biennial executives, that whatever will be harvested during the fundraising would lead to “greater harvests of sound health of mind and body of countless women and children in our communities and will be for the public good.”
The event was the high point of the 23rd Biennial Conference, investiture, and 13th Irene Thomas Memorial Lecture, which was held in Lagos on Friday. It had the theme: Investing in the health and well-being of adolescents and young people.
She urged members and stakeholders to contribute their quota to the service of humanity, adding that the organisation would continue to embark on the laudable basic programmes of promoting health education and screening of preventable cancers (breast and cervical).
Ige said, “We shall focus on the following cardinal areas in the overall interest of the good people of Lagos State, particularly through various means such as scaling up diverse health education and public enlightenment activities amongst women, as well as children with special focus on adolescent health issues.”
Others, she listed, include reaching out to the vulnerable, especially widows, orphans, and the physically challenged; Gap-bridging and inclusiveness through active involvement, mentoring, and capacity building of our young colleagues; and promoting members’ welfare and bonding together as one big family.
According to the president, to achieve all these and more, MWAN would adopt strategies such as advocacy, interfacing, and partnership with the Lagos State Government, as well as Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to upgrade health systems; strengthening through collaboration and partnership with other medical bodies.
In her valedictory remarks, the immediate-past President of the Lagos State branch of MWAN, Dr Ibironke Sodeinde, said the focus of the biennium has been centred on diversity, inclusiveness, and branded rewarding stewardship.
She further disclosed that the association had in the last two years made progress in the areas of maiden mentorship, training programmes in cohorts, maiden boys and girls initiative, and continued promotion of anti-gender based violence campaign, among others.
She, therefore, urged the new executives to continue with the lofty programmes of the association to guarantee steady growth.
Dignitaries at the event include the Senior Pastor, Shalom Baptist Church, Egbeda, Dr Theophilus OlaOlorun, Secretary of the Local Organising Committee of the event, Dr Temitope Ishola, Chairman of the Publicity Sub-Committee, Dr Oladunni Timson, among others.
