The national coordinator of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), Dr Dayo Adeyanju, has disclosed that the Initiative is working around the clock in collaboration with the state governments to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in 172 local government areas in the country.
Dr Adeyanju, speaking with newsmen in Kaduna yesterday shortly after a four-day workshop on how to tackle the mortality problem, disclosed that about seven LGAs in Kaduna State alone have the highest mortality rate.
He explained that a prepared document during the workshop has been handed over to the Kaduna State government for action on reducing mortality.
According to Dr Adeyanju, „In the last four days, we have been able to work together with the state in line with the compact site between the federal government and state government to co-created a solution, a silt of intervention to seeing to crashing of maternal mortality in Kaduna State because Kaduna in line with the MAMII strategy, looking at where are the women dying, before now 172 LGAs in Nigeria, and Kaduna has about 7 of those LGAs. So that is why we are in Kaduna.
“We have gone to see from day one when we discussed the MAMII with the state government and day two we had to go to the field to look at these drivers of maternal death to ensure that the women can have access to the care that is being provided in line with the mandate of Mr President and the directive of the coordinating minister to ensure that no woman actually should die. So, we have cooperated, looked at the problem, had the findings in collaboration with the state and local governments, and incorporated them to address all of these problems. Right from the community through the access, we made physical access, financial access and into the facilities, as well as how to report any death, and to ensure that we deploy enablers if this happens.
“There is proper coordination and alignment with the stakeholders. These are all the things we have done in the last four days, and the document is ready. The task force has been inaugurated by the honourable commissioner of health. We are presenting this document to the top government functionary for the action of the document. We must commend the political Will in Kaduna State because right from the deputy governor who actually represented the governor through to the commissioner and the entire workforce, we say this is good, we are hopeful that with this document, it will be a journey of the pathway to crashing maternal mortality in Kaduna State.“
Also fielding questions from newsmen, the commissioner for health Hajiya Ummah Ahmed said, „As you have seen the commitment of Kaduna State from the governor‘s sustained manifestoes where the governor clearly indicated his passion to address child and maternal mortality rate in Kaduna State and the commitment of the state by having the deputy governor who represented the governor in the opening day of this workshop. This is to show that the State is committed.
Hajiya Ahmed emphasised the state government‘s commitment to working with the Initiative to reduce the maternal and neonatal mortality in the state.
“Another commitment by the State is the total overhaul of our health facilities. You have seen the governor upgrading from the primary health centre to the secondary health facilities as well as completing a 300-bed hospital facility in the State. All these are commitments. Procurement of state-of-the-art medical equipment and the recent approval granted to the Ministry of Health to recruit about 2000 health workers. All these are political will shown by the state.
“The maternal and neonatal mortality reduction initiative and innovation workshop came at the right time. It came when we needed the strategy to ensure that we reduce maternal mortality in our dear State. And therefore, in this 4-day workshop we sat down with critical stakeholders where we came up with work plans and inaugurated a technical committee that will work to ensure that we crash this maternal and neonatal mortality indices in the State. I want to assure Mr President, who initiated this as well as the coordinating minister of health and the federal Ministry of Health, that Kaduna is committed to crashing maternal and neonatal mortality in the state very soon by the special grace of God“.
However, later after the programme, council chairmen from seven local government areas and traditional rulers concerned about maternal deaths in Kaduna State were present at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House with the deputy governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, to receive a roadmap report on ending maternal mortality from the MAMII coordinator.
Speaking at the meeting with the deputy governor, Dr Adeyanju, said the delegation was in Kaduna to present its findings and recommendations on improving maternal health outcomes in the state.
In her response, the deputy governor, Hadiza Balarabe, reiterated the state government’s commitment to ending maternal mortality.
“Kaduna is committed to reducing maternal deaths, and I hope the Ministry of Health will also put in the necessary effort to see this through,” she said.
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