Novel on infertility, maternal mortality debuts

A social development expert, Mabel Adinya Ade, has launched a novel that explores the challenges of delayed conception and maternal health in the country.

Speaking during the launch of the book titled ‘Fruit of Pain’ in Abuja, Ade said it was inspired by her personal experience, and observation of maternal and child mortality as a result of poor health facilities and inadequate manpower, among others across the country.

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Ade, who is also the Executive Director of the Adinya Arise Foundation, said the government should pay more attention to pregnant women, adding,  “When  proper attention  is given, the worst complication comes out with positive result.”

She said: “ I put this book together as an advocacy piece of material, and an educational material.

“Firstly, for students of medicine, sociology, theatre arts so that they are able to review the book, understand the context in which these cases happen, situate themselves as presented in the book so that as they attend to clients as medical students, they will understand the situation of the client beyond the physical examination.

“For other students as they are growing up into adulthood, they will understand that when I marry, pregnancy is a community project between me and my husband. If she is experiencing fertility issue, I could be the one with the problem, she may be the one, so we must put hands together and explore.”

Eugene Yakubu said the ‘Fruit of Pain’ captured the excruciating feeling of motherhood, the depressing experience of childbirth, and how the society constructs the woman’s body to bear pain and torture just to be validated as ‘fertile’.

“It talks about the pain of loss and the distress of losing one’s pregnancy, the dark hole that women are thrown into during childbirth and how the society folds its hand. The book also explores the complicity of loved ones especially spouses in the struggles that such women face,” Yakubu said.

First Lady Kebbi State governor, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu harped on the need to encourage more girls in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and mathematics (STEM ) field. She said it would go a long way in  changing the narrative of child and maternal mortality in the country.

Launching the novel, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Pauline Tallen, called for increased efforts in tackling maternal mortality, and inclusion of women in development programmes in the country.