Oluremi Tinubu Calls For End To Child Marriage, Obstetric Fistula

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has called for urgent collective action to end child marriage and improve access to quality maternal healthcare as part of efforts to eradicate obstetric fistula in Nigeria and across the world.

In a message to commemorate the 2026 International Day to End Obstetric Fistula marked on May 23, the First Lady said no woman or girl should continue to suffer from a condition that is both preventable and treatable.

Referencing this year’s theme, “Her Health, Her Right: Shaping a Future without Fistula,” Senator Tinubu stressed that access to quality maternal healthcare is a fundamental right for every woman and girl.

According to her, early marriage and teenage pregnancy remain major causes of obstetric fistula because many young girls are physically unprepared for childbirth.

She also identified harmful traditional practices and lack of awareness as factors limiting access to skilled healthcare services and vital reproductive health information.

“We must act urgently to end child marriage, empower girls through education, and ensure every woman has access to quality healthcare,” she stated.

The First Lady further urged governments, stakeholders, health workers, and communities to work together toward ensuring safer childbirth for women.

“Let us work together to build a future where every birth is safe and no woman loses her life in childbirth,” she added.

Obstetric fistula is a serious childbirth injury often caused by prolonged obstructed labour without timely medical intervention, leaving affected women with severe physical, social, and psychological challenges.

The International Day to End Obstetric Fistula is observed annually to raise awareness about the condition and mobilise global support toward prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation for survivors.