Federal Ministry of Health has identified 15 local government areas in Katsina State as being among areas with the highest maternal and child mortality rates in Nigeria, necessitating calls for urgent action.
Mr. Omoruyi Iyahen, who represented the sector-wide coordinator and national coordinator of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Muntaqa Sadiq Umar, disclosed this during the closing ceremony of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) in Katsina.
“We are here to activate the maternal mortality reduction programme in Katsina,” Iyahen said, “Nigeria has long struggled with poor health indices, especially in maternal and child health. MAMII was designed to change that narrative by working directly with states.”
He said out of 172 LGs identified nationwide as high-risk zones for maternal mortality, 15 are in Katsina, prompting the federal government to prioritise the state in its intervention plans.
“The Minister of Health gave us a clear mandate to go beyond policies in Abuja and get to the heart of the problem. That’s why Katsina is a priority. With the efforts seen here, especially from the state government and the first lady, we believe results will start to change even before 2027,” he added.
Similarly, the first lady of the state, Hajiya Zulaihat Radda, expressed deep concern over the escalating rates of maternal and neonatal mortality in the state, describing the situation as “distressing and unacceptable.”
According to recent data, Katsina records over 1,000 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, while neonatal deaths exceed 66 per 1,000 live births, placing the state among the worst nationwide.
“These figures represent far more than statistics, they are the lives of women with dreams, families and futures lost to preventable causes,” Radda said at the event.
She highlighted the work of her NGO, the Safe Space Humanitarian Initiative, which has trained 50 community-based volunteers to promote antenatal care and safe deliveries among expectant mothers in rural areas.
“Our volunteers are on the ground, encouraging women to attend clinics and deliver their babies in health facilities,” she said, emphasising the role of community engagement in bridging the gap between healthcare services and the people who need them most.
