The Niger State Government has decried the paucity of data to aid research in health conditions affecting women.
It urged health-related agencies and the federal government to deploy resources as well as funds to build up a database to enhance research into the health conditions of the black woman.
The Niger State Commissioner for Health, Murtala Bagana, made this known during a stakeholders’ engagement and media interaction on the need to prioritise women’s menstrual and reproductive health through evidence-based research and policy leadership put together by Youterus Health in collaboration with White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria
In a chat with newsmen, Bagana lamented what he termed “years of inadequate attention to women’s health by policymakers and government institutions”, and stressed that the research conducted by White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria would help policymakers better understand and address long-standing health challenges faced by women.
“Niger State will be part of the entire exercise of the White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria. As a commissioner and with my team, we want to be involved in field research because we are the ones who will ultimately implement the findings.
“The state will advocate for the adoption of the research findings at the National Council on Health meeting scheduled for November 2026. I hope to champion discussions on the outcome of the study,” he said
The Commissioner commended Youterus Health and White Ribbon for their engagement with the state and for raising awareness on women’s reproductive health challenges.
The Chief Executive Officer of Youtherus Health, Dr Fatou Wurie and the Executive Director of White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria, Chief Tonte Ibraye, in their remarks, noted that issues related to African Women’s health are being shrouded in secrecy due to inadequate data.
“Because of the inadequate data on African Women’s Uterine health burden, issues related to African Women’s health have been shrouded in secrecy,
“However, an African-led company, Youterus Health and civil society White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria are calling for tailored research on African women’s womb health. It is past time to unmute the womb, they said.
The Youtherus Health boss added that women’s health should be given priority as it concerns developing data to aid research
“Nigerian women tend to develop fibroids at a younger age compared to women in Western countries. While the average age range in Western populations is between 40 and 46 years, Nigerian women develop fibroids much earlier, between 35 and 37 years.
“57.4 per cent of Nigerian adolescent girls experience heavy menstrual bleeding, and the average delay between the onset of symptoms and seeking medical care exceeds 20 years.
“The absence of a national screening programme, patient registries to track outcomes, and dedicated research funding for uterine health in Nigeria, women’s health remains under-prioritised, under-researched and under-measured,” Wurie stressed.
