First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has called on governments, communities, and health stakeholders to take immediate and coordinated steps to end child marriage, describing it as one of the leading drivers of obstetric fistula and a preventable source of lifelong suffering for women and girls.

Speaking in a message marking the 2026 International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, the First Lady said girls who were married and became pregnant before their bodies were physically ready faced the highest risks of developing the condition, which leaves many women with severe and debilitating injuries from complicated childbirth.

She said this year’s observance theme, which centred on health as a right and a future free from fistula, underscored the obligation of governments to guarantee access to quality maternal care as a non-negotiable standard rather than a privilege. She called for the elimination of harmful traditional practices and the expansion of maternal health awareness in communities where girls were most vulnerable to early marriage and inadequate medical care.

The First Lady said no woman should lose her life in childbirth or endure an avoidable condition, and called on all sectors of society to work toward a future in which every birth was safe and every mother was protected.