On Monday 7th April 2025, the Association of Resident Doctors of Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos Plateau State marked the 2025 World Health Day.
Under the distinguished leadership of the POTARD Dr Kwarshak Kevin, ARD JUTH celebrates the mother of all Health days.
The theme for World Health Day 2025 is Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures.
This year’s WHD will kick off a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. The campaign will urge governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women’s longer-term health and well-being.
KEYPOINTS BY ARDITES ON World Health Day 2025:
Dr. Bulus Nansak, General Secretary ARD JUTH
Roles of ARD JUTH in Ensuring Healthy Beginnings and Hopeful Futures
A. Encouraging and Promoting Health Education
1. Organizing programs, such as community outreaches, to educate people on healthy living, practices that promote health, disease prevention, and disease management.
2. Collaborating with various schools to integrate health education into the curriculum.
B. Improving Healthcare Access
1. Advocating for increased access to standard healthcare services, especially for underserved and vulnerable populations.
2. Participating in initiatives that provide medical care to marginalized communities.
C. Supporting Research and Innovation
1. Encouraging research in areas that impact public health, such as disease prevention, treatment, and management, through publications.
2. Collaborating with other healthcare professionals to develop innovative solutions to health challenges.
D. Fostering Community Engagement
1. Building partnerships with local organizations to promote health and wellness initiatives.
2. Engaging with community leaders to raise awareness about health issues and promote healthy behaviors.
E. Advocating for Health Policy
1. Advocating for policies that promote public health, healthcare access, and healthcare financing.
2. Collaborating with policymakers to develop and implement health-related policies.
By taking these steps, ARD JUTH can significantly contribute to ensuring healthy beginnings and hopeful futures for individuals and communities at large.
Dr. Jahkim Garos Susan, Treasurer NMA Plateau State
Women’s health and wellbeing [WHW] is a broad category that involves the overall quality of life of a woman from birth through old age. It encompasses her physical, mental, and socioeconomic well-being. The overall aim is to help women reach her full potential by providing high-quality health care in a supportive environment.
As an MWAN member and an ARDite, it is important to value our physical and emotional status to function well as female doctors.
Seminars for all MWAN and ARDites on coping mechanisms for a woman, doctor, and mother in a conducive/ healthy working environment to boost our mental wellbeing.
Proactive education on reproductive health, ending maternal mortality by having a healthy mother, baby, and overall happy home should be our goal.
Educating the girl child on reproductive health with the aim of giving each a healthy beginning and a hopeful future.
Creating awareness on common cancers in our environment like breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers will help with early detection and treatment to prevent avoidable death.
Every MWAN member and female ARDite needs to prioritise her health and wellbeing to live long.
Dr. Thelma Akumuo FWACP, Internal Medicine Department
‘Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures’- very interesting theme I must say.
The theme drives home a very critical message about starting right for a positive outcome.
With regards to maternal and child health, let’s pay close attention and make efforts at ensuring adequate health care for women of child-bearing age before, during and after birth; both on individual and government levels.
We are sure to have a better society if we follow through with the theme.
Dr. Ayo Aladeshuyi FMCOG, Immediate Past Vice-chairman NMA Plateau
Role of Obstetrician on WHD.
Diagnosis and prompt management of obstetric emergencies.
Specialized input in pre-conceptional, antenatal, intrapartum and post natal care of low and high risk pregnancy as well as offers contraceptive and other reproductive health services to those in need of them.
Dr. Ungut Mankilik, Senior Registrar, Internal Medicine Department
“The future is secure when we promote healthy habits and cultures.
In my specialty I will promote this, through patient education both verbally, in writing and through the media.”
Dr. Samuelson Chibuzo, Senior Registrar, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department
The role of the Obstetrician as the carer of the unborn child cannot be over emphasized.
To ensure that there is universal maternal healthcare, the Obstetrician must ensure that the pregnant mother who has the privilege of hosting a baby for a season is kept in great health as the quality of maternal health affects the quality of the health of the unborn child.
The Obstetrician must also strive to continue advocacy in the corridors of power brokers and policy makers to ensure that whatever healthcare measures undertaken to cater for our mothers must continually be expanded to reach those who are most vulnerable and who need it most. Also, research into improved means of providing healthcare at the most affordable cost should continue to top the chart for work that the Obstetrician is involved in.
By doing these and more, universal maternal healthcare and healthy beginnings for the unborn can be instituted to ensure that the future is continually full of hope.
Dr. Kasai Akutse Itse, Resident in Anaesthesia Department
How can I use my specialty to promote and provide Hopeful Futures?
I can be a teachable and efficient resident so as to be able to pass the right knowledge to my coworkers and colleagues coming from behind.
Dr. Iortyer Shadrach Sesugh, HO Representative, ARD JUTH
The theme for World Health day 2025 is “Healthy beginnings, Hopeful futures.”
The importance of the theme is that it highlights the significance of maternal and newborn health in order to provide a solid basis for future generations
Roles of Obstetricians in Achieving Universal Maternal Health – “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures”
1. Ensuring Equitable Access to Quality Prenatal Care.
Obstetricians provide early screenings, give pre-conception counselling , and promote nutrition, ensuring pregnancies start healthily. This will lead to reductions in complications of medical conditions in pregnancies, abortion, preterm birth, etc, and fosters long-term health for mothers and their children .
2. Promoting Safe and Respectful Childbirth.
The Skilled management of deliveries, emergency readiness and advocacy for respectful care reduce maternal mortality and morbidity .
Dignified care empowers women, improving mental health and encouraging future healthcare engagement.
3. Strengthening Postpartum Support Systems.
Monitoring for postpartum haemorrhage, depression, infections, and providing lactation support ensures recovery.
Family planning education enables spacing of pregnancies, improving maternal and child outcomes and socioeconomic stability.
4. Advocating for Marginalized Populations.
Addressing disparities through culturally sensitive care and outreach programs (e.g., mobile clinics in rural areas).
Reducing inequities ensures all communities thrive, fostering societal resilience.
5. Educating Communities and Healthcare Workers.
Training midwives and community health workers extends reach; educating families on warning signs improves timely care-seeking.
Empowered communities sustain health gains independently, creating awareness.
6. Driving Policy and Health System Reforms.
Lobbying for funding, infrastructure, and workforce training strengthens maternal care systems.
Sustainable policies ensure future generations benefit from robust healthcare frameworks.
7. Leveraging Technology and Innovation.
Telemedicine bridges access gaps; mobile apps can deliver prenatal education.
Digital tools can make care easily accessible, enabling solutions for global maternal health.
8. Integrating Mental Health Screening for perinatal depression and anxiety during visits.
Mental wellness enhances maternal-child bonding and long-term family stability.
9.Leading Research and Data-Driven Practice.
Contributing to studies on maternal outcomes to refine best practices.
Evidence-based interventions create lasting systemic improvements.
10. Responding to Crises and Emergencies.
Adapting care in conflicts/pandemics (e.g., PPE for safe deliveries).
Resilient healthcare models protect maternal health during instability, securing future recovery.
Conclusion: Obstetricians are pivotal in transforming the theme “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures” into action. By addressing immediate clinical needs while advocating for systemic equity and education, they lay the groundwork for healthier societies where every mother’s well-being is prioritized .
Dr. Gloria Madi, Coordinator Young Doctors Forum, Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN)
ARD JUTH can ensure Healthy Beginnings, hopeful future through
- Provision of timely and effective maternal / Newborn and Child Care
- Health education on nutrition, breastfeeding, safe sleep practices, mental health screening, immunization etc
- Advocacy for policies aimed at improving access to maternal-child healthcare
- Evidence based Research on maternal-child health outcomes can be carried out to reduce preterm deliveries and enhance care protocols
- Addressing psychosocial factors such as food insecurity, domestic violence, and substance use.
With all in place, a hopeful future is guaranteed by setting children on a path to healthy development and reducing long-term health issues.
Dr. Queen Esther Akpa, House Officer, Department of Surgery
Healthy beginnings, hopeful future.
The importance of the theme for the 2025 celebration is that when we treat and improve the health of present generations, the effects ripple across time and to many generations yet to come or unborn.
Dr. Ayuba Namang Jehu, Public Relations Officer, NMA Plateau State
One way of ensuring Healthy Beginnings, Hopefully Futures is by assessing and addressing critical needs especially as regards Maternal and Newborn care. This can be achieved when so much is invested in the health sector by government, business committee, individuals and the general public. Ensuring safe motherhood and newborn.
Dr. Ben James E, Vice-President, ARD JUTH
Role of Plateau State Government in improving maternal and child indices in rural areas:
Ensuring that the PHC’s are functional and equipped with material and human resources.
Proper training and retraining of staff on issues relating to maternal and child health.
Encouraging good health seeking behaviors among the populace by subsidizing health care costs and encouraging community participation in health care delivery.
Sponsoring health education and advocacy programs on key topics that touch on maternal and child health.
Dr. Ghinsel Nanmah Basil, Former Vice-President, ARD JUTH
Improving maternal and child health indices on the Plateau, especially in rural settings can be achieved via;
The immediate, short, medium and long terms.
Immediate;
- Massive recruitment of all cadres of healthcare professionals to be posted to the rural parts of the state.
- Incentivization of such posted healthcare professionals.
Short term/medium term;
- Renovation/refurbishment/re-equiping of PHCs across the state.
- Increased renumeration.
Long term;
- Improving the socioeconomic indices and general well-being of the citizenry.
- Improving the security across the state.
- Upgrade of social amenities in the rural areas where these PHCs are sited.