A few days after concluding a five-day workshop on the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) in Kano, the state government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing maternal mortality.
The MAMII project is a strategic initiative aimed at curbing maternal mortality through intensified interventions in 172 priority local government areas (LGAs) across the six geopolitical zones. Kano State emerged as the highest priority, with 18 LGAs identified for urgent action.
Receiving the workshop report yesterday from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Pharm. Aminu Bashir, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, assured that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf remains resolute in addressing maternal and neonatal mortality in the state.
Dr. Labaran recalled that Governor Yusuf, in his inaugural speech, pledged to resume free maternity services and provide welcome packages for newborns in public health facilities. He emphasized that the governor has fulfilled this promise by approving the monthly distribution of maternity kits, worth millions of naira, to pregnant women in over 60 hospitals and 63 primary healthcare centers across the state.
Additionally, the government has introduced free caesarean sections (CS) for women experiencing pregnancy-related complications, further reinforcing efforts to reduce maternal mortality.
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The commissioner highlighted that the MAMII workshop has provided an avenue for deeper research into the root causes of maternal and newborn mortality in the 18 high-risk LGAs and the state at large.
Dr. Labaran expressed concern over zero-dose immunization rates and the high burden of diphtheria, which the current administration inherited. He identified these as major factors contributing to the state’s alarming maternal mortality rate. He pledged the government’s full support for the MAMII project to address these challenges.
He also lamented that only 30% of women in Kano State deliver in hospitals, describing this as another major factor contributing to high maternal deaths. He urged expectant mothers to seek medical care at healthcare facilities, assuring them that the government is working diligently to upgrade hospitals and improve access to universal health coverage.
Dr. Labaran further assured that the Ministry of Health will carefully study the workshop’s recommendations and implement them effectively with the support of development partners. He commended the organizers for their efforts in tackling maternal mortality and described the initiative as a key catalyst for change.
To ensure success, the commissioner noted that the ministry will collaborate with relevant ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to upgrade access roads, recognizing their crucial role in reducing maternal and newborn mortality in the state.
This was contained in a statement signed by Ibrahim Abdullahi, Information Officer, Ministry of Health, and sent to Good Evening Nigeria on Tuesday.