100,395 Kano Pregnant Women Access Free Antenatal Care In 2 Years

A total of 110,395 pregnant women from communities across Kano State enrolled to access free antenatal healthcare services from 2022 till date.

Executive Secretary, Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA), Dr. Rahila Murktar, disclosed this at a Safe Motherhood symposium organised by the state ministry of health in collaboration with development partners.

In her presentation titled, ‘Role of KSCHMA on improving maternal health in Kano,’ Dr. Murktar said 50 percent of it enrollees are women who have access to comprehensive safe motherhood services, including drugs and laboratory investigations.

Murktar explained that the agency has also facilitated quality access for thousands women of reproduction age to benefit essential maternal healthcare services.

She added that delivery 21,824 services and 964 caesarian section were carried out within the period.

The Executive Secretary also noted that the services were provided to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, promote equity as well as remove financial barrier for women in accessing comprehensive health care services.

While calling for more collaborative effort at complementing government efforts in offering women joyful motherhood experience, Dr. Murktar pointed out that there are large number of women who do not have this privilege, stressing that, only 3.9 percent of Kano population are currently enrolled in KSCHMA programmes.

“Opportunity exist for organisations, communities, and individuals to key into KSCHMA programmes and complement government’s effort to cover more women and reduce the rate of maternal deaths,” she added.

Speaking during the event, Falakin Bichi, Abba Waziri said accessibility to healthcare services has remained a great challenge to rural dwellers, hence the need for the development partners and wealthy individuals to extend their kind gestures directly to those areas.

UNICEF Health Specialist, Maternal, New Born and Child-health, Kano Field Office, Saudat Bashir, in her remarks, said the organisation, whose activities dwell more on women and children would continue in its support to see that maternal mortality is reduced to the barest minimum.

She described the state of maternal mortality as worrisome and as such, urging stakeholders such as community and traditional leaders, the ulamas, and civil society organisations to work hard and have a strategic approach of more action than making statements towards achieving desired results.