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Unlikely activist: WBFA Founder-President, Toyin Saraki at TEDxEuston

THE WELLBEING FOUNDATION AFRICA 10 YEARS ON

WBFA TAKES A STAND AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON THE INT'L DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF #VAW

Midwives at the core of maternal health - on International Day of the Midwife

High-Level Health Forum Calls for Urgent Global Policy Reform And Recognition Of Midwifery To Help Save Millions Of Mothers and Newborns Around The World

Friday, June 30, 2017 - 16:30

Toronto, Monday 19 June 2017 – A high-level health forum met in Toronto today to address the global state of midwifery and is calling for urgent global policy reform and recognition of midwifery to help save millions of mothers and newborns around the world.

Each year, 1 million newborns die during their first day of life, 1.3 million babies are stillborn, and more than 300,000 mothers die during pregnancy and childbirth. Skilled and educated midwives are health professionals that can provide 87% of essential healthcare needed during pregnancy and following birth even in low resource settings. It is estimated that through their intervention, 56% of maternal, fetal, and newborn deaths could be prevented – a million lives each year.

The forum brought together a wide range of government representatives, heads of agencies and global advocates and was hosted by the International Confederation of Midwives as part of their 31st Triennial Congress, a flagship event for midwives taking place in Toronto this week. The forum was convened by H.E. Mrs. Toyin Saraki, Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and Founder of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa.

The first African leader to answer the forum’s call to action was H.E. Mr. Jaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania and global health advocate. Speaking at the event, he said: “The statistics we have are frightening, saddening and surprising. They are frightening because the number of mothers and children dying are huge. They are saddening because no mother is supposed to die for giving life to another human being. Also, that pregnancy and childbirth should be moments of celebration and not moments of grief. ”

H.E. Mrs. Toyin Saraki, ICM Goodwill Ambassador and Head of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, said: “The impact of skilled and educated midwifery is all around us. Still, the global shortage of midwives amounts to 350,000 and the gap between those who have access to the life-saving care midwives provide and those who do not is enormous. This needs to change immediately with the provision of increased funding, education and regulation that supports midwives, no matter where they are. ”

In her closing remarks, CEO of the ICM, Mrs. Sally Pairman said: “Our organization represents more than 500,000 midwives in 113 countries who wake up every day and perform their life-saving role with so much dedication and passion despite the lack of support and recognition they receive. For their sake, and the sake of millions worldwide, it is time we changed that”.

The high-level meeting also heard from a rich selection of government representatives, experts and organizations in the field of midwifery and global health including the United Nations Population’s Fund, Johnson and Johnson, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Global Affairs and many others.

“The social impact investment of the century will be primary healthcare and midwifery” HE Toyin Ojora-Saraki

Friday, June 16, 2017 - 17:00

Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), HE Toyin Ojora-Saraki and the WBFA global team participated in the 11th Biennial U.S.-Africa Business Summit organised by Corporate Council on Africa in Washington DC on Friday 16 June. Mrs. Saraki was invited to speak at the panel discussion: “Africa Rising: Expanding Social Impact on The Continent.”

At the panel discussion, Mrs. Saraki remarked: “Before tackling tertiary and secondary problems, we must build strong foundations at the primary level and invest in primary healthcare and primary education.”
Mrs. Saraki continued: “I believe that the social impact investment of the century will be in primary healthcare and midwifery.”
Mrs. Saraki stated: “Private sector must collaborate with the local community and civil society, to improve implementation and impact.”

When asked about how to improve relations between governmental bodies and the private sector, Mrs. Saraki stated: “For governments to have long and sustaining relationships with private sector there must be a high level of transparency, and national policymakers must be clear and honest about what their country needs.”

Mrs Saraki, Wife of Nigeria's Senate President His Excellency Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives headquartered at The Hague, and a member of the recently launched African Union - UNWomen African Women Leaders Network Initiative, was joined on the all-female panel, moderated by Cassady Walters of the Albright Stonebridge Group founded by Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State‎, by panelists including Heather Kulp, Director of the Niger Delta Partnership Initiative, Jennifer Guertin, Associate Director at the Gates Institute and Natasha Quist, Senior Advisor at the Gates Foundation.

Mrs. Saraki alongside her global team also attended the Gala dinner at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art on Thursday 15 June, where they admired the latest collections, including artwork by Yinka Shonibare.

Wellbeing Foundation Africa Adolescent Personal Social And Health Education Program Expands To Abuja Schools

Sunday, May 28, 2017 - 17:30

As global development stakeholders commemorated World Menstruation Hygiene Day, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, led by Toyin Saraki, Wife of Nigeria's Senate President has expanded its landmark Adolescent Skills and Drills Personal Social And Health Education campaign to teenage girls in the Abuja metropolis, Federal Capital Territory, delivering confidence building information on menstrual hygiene to the students of Anglican Catholic School.

In a lively outreach session led by Wellbeing Youth Counselors, the teenage students of the Anglican Catholic School in Apo were taught about to menstrual hygiene management, based on the newly developed WBFA Adolescents Skills & Drills Handbook, and launched the Puberty instructional series of Medical Aid Films. The Handbook covers personal, social and health education topics, from Respectful Relationships and nutrition, to the Girl Declaration on the rights of the Girl-Child.

Menstrual Hygiene Day is an annual awareness day, on 28th May, that aims to break taboos and raise awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management for women and adolescent girls worldwide.
In many parts of sub-saharan Africa, girls can miss up to 5 days of school a month or drop out entirely due to insufficient access to water, sanitation and Hygeine facilities while improving access to WASH facilities can actually increase girls' attendance at school.

Inadequate menstrual hygiene management is connected with several problems that females, particularly in developing countries with the WHO stating that unsafe water, sanitation and inadequate hygiene are the gravest risks to adolescent girls health, adversely affecting education, dignity and human rights of women and adolescent girls.

Wellbeing Foundation Africa Calls On G7 Leaders To Protect The Rights Of Displaced Children

Friday, May 26, 2017 - 15:15

As G7 leaders meet in Sicily Italy today, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa urges the leaders to protect the rights of displaced and vulnerable children arriving in Europe daily. The protection of unaccompanied minors and children is the right of every child, no matter their place of birth.

As the new UNICEF report, A Child is a Child points out, the world has seen almost a five-fold increase in the number of refugee and migrant children traveling alone since 2010. And even when they travel with their families, they face several terrible risks and often fall through the cracks.

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa calls upon the G7 leaders to ensure the rights of children who have been uprooted from their homes due poverty and atrocities and arrive at their countries. These children, like every other child deserve the right to safer and secure lives and futures. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa believes that countries have the right to intensify national security and protect their borders during global uncertainty, but this can also coincide with protecting the rights of displaced children by providing each child with a certifiable identity. When each migrant and refugee child is given a certifiable identity, it will bring two-folds of great results. It will allow the child to be visible on governmental systems and build stronger and resilient national security systems, and it will provide the child the right to seek out health and education services at their host country.

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa urges governments of the G7 countries act on the following agenda:
•   Protect child refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied children, from exploitation and violence.
•   End the detention of children seeking refugee status or migrating by finding practical alternatives.
•   Keep families together as the best way to protect children and give children legal status.
•   Keep all refugee and migrant children learning and give them access to health and other quality services.
•   Press for action on the underlying causes of large-scale movements of refugees and migrants.
•   Promote measures to combat xenophobia, discrimination, and marginalization in countries of transit and destination

When world leaders adopted the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants in September 2016, they acknowledged the urgent and unmet needs of vulnerable child migrants. It is time to act and deliver on this promise.

-ends-

Notes to Editor:

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa has long campaigned for child rights and the rights of displaced persons, particularly children, to be given a health enhanced certifiable identity documents such as the Personal Health Record (TM) Child Health Record Book and e-card.
Information on WBFA’s PHR: http://www.thewellbeingfoundation.com/phr.php
Safeguarding the Well-Being of Childrenhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/toyin-ojorasaraki/safeguarding-the-well-be...
Addressing the Growing Health Crisis On International Migrants Dayhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/toyin-ojorasaraki/international-migrants-d...

UNICEF Photos: We urge you to galvanize your own networks around this critical issue and are pleased to share this link of sharable photo and video content to assist in your efforts: http://weshare.unicef.org/Package/2AMZIFDKRWO
Social media actions via your social media channels:
Sharing the #AChildIsAChild manifesto GIF file
Sharing this link to the A Child is A Child report: https://www.unicef.org/publications/index_95956.html
Posting the following suggested message:
I believe #AChildIsAChild - do you?
Join me & @UNICEF by retweeting this to stand w/ #ChildrenUprooted by war, violence & poverty