Health
Sokoto targets 23 LGs in push to cut maternal deaths
By Animashaun Salman
The Sokoto State Government has unveiled fresh measures to reduce maternal and newborn deaths through the provision of free delivery kits and solar-powered lighting in labour rooms and maternity units across the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Umar Abubakar, disclosed this on Monday during the dissemination of the Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care assessment report in Sokoto.
The assessment, conducted by the United Nations Population Fund across Sokoto, Kwara and Adamawa states with funding from the European Union under the Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health Project, identified gaps affecting emergency maternal and newborn care.
Abubakar said the proposed interventions were part of efforts to address challenges that continue to contribute to maternal and newborn deaths, particularly at public health facilities.
He assured that the government would introduce free delivery kits for women giving birth in public facilities, provide solar lighting in labour rooms and maternity units, and strengthen antenatal care services.
According to him, the measures were aimed at addressing the three major delays associated with maternal mortality: delays in deciding to seek medical care, delays in reaching health facilities and delays in receiving appropriate treatment.
“We are committed to addressing the three delays responsible for maternal mortality. These include delays in seeking medical attention, delays in reaching health facilities and delays in receiving adequate medical attention,” he stressed.
The commissioner disclosed that Sokoto had recorded improvements in some health indicators that included immunisation coverage and a gradual decline in maternal and child mortality, but stressed that the gains were not enough.
He pointed out that the state would use evidence generated from the EmONC assessment to identify weaknesses in the health system, improve resource allocation and strengthen coordination between government agencies and development partners.
Abubakar also disclosed that more than 60 per cent of resolutions reached at the National Health Council had been implemented in Sokoto, describing the state as one of the leading states in implementing national health policies.
However, he identified inadequate financial protection and the need for increased investment and reforms as some of the challenges confronting the state’s health sector.
He, therefore, called on development partners working in the area of maternal health to align their interventions with the state’s efforts to reduce maternal mortality.
Meanwhile, speaking on the need for grassroots involvement, the Sokoto State ALGON Chairman, Hon. Abba Shehu, urged stakeholders to extend the initiative to all 23 local government areas, particularly rural communities.
Shehu said maternal healthcare challenges were more pronounced at the local level and called for the involvement of district heads, village heads and community leaders in campaigns to improve healthcare-seeking behaviour.
“The problem we are discussing is at the local government level. You cannot find all these problems in the state capital,” he said.
He assured stakeholders that local government chairmen were prepared to support programmes designed to improve maternal and newborn healthcare at the grassroots.
Also, the Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Hon. Kabiru Dauda, pledged the support of the state legislature for policies and programmes aimed at protecting pregnant women and children and improving access to quality healthcare.
Earlier, the UNFPA Sokoto Field Office representative, Dr Rabi Sagir, said the dissemination was intended to ensure that findings from the assessment translated into concrete interventions rather than remaining as statistics.
She explained that the exercise would help stakeholders identify critical infrastructure, human-resource and medical supply gaps affecting EmONC services across the 23 LGAs.
Sagir said stakeholders would also work towards securing policy and financial commitments from the state government and development partners to integrate the assessment improvement plan into the state’s operational plans and budgets.
She urged stakeholders to work collectively to implement the recommendations and ensure that women and newborns across Sokoto have access to timely, quality and life-saving emergency care.
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