Kano Targets Zero Maternal Deaths In Four Years

The Kano State Government has set a four-year target to eliminate maternal deaths in the state through improved healthcare delivery, stronger referral systems and the adoption of innovative maternal and newborn health interventions.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, stated this on Monday at the learning and dissemination meeting of the Accelerating the Expanded Adoption of RMNCH Innovations and Health Reforms (AEARI) project in Kano.

The meeting was organised by West and Central Africa Health Options (WCAHealth) in collaboration with the Kano State Government, with support from TAConnect.

Labaran said the state government was committed to ensuring that every pregnancy in Kano ended safely, adding that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf had given a clear directive to reduce maternal mortality to zero.

“The directive by Governor Abba Yusuf is zero mortality, and we are not compromising on that. Our aim is to ensure that every woman who conceives delivers safely and the baby survives,” he said.

The commissioner disclosed that maternal mortality in the state had dropped from 1,206 cases to between 500 and 700 following the implementation of targeted interventions, representing about a 50 per cent reduction.

He attributed the progress to improved training of healthcare workers, strengthening of health facilities, increased hospital deliveries and the adoption of proven innovations.

Labaran also revealed that the state government had approved the expansion of free maternal health commodities to 484 primary healthcare centres and procured 484 ambulances to support emergency referrals for pregnant women.

He noted that the AEARI project supported 75 health facilities across 18 local government areas, trained 800 health workers and 242 skilled birth attendants, while recording over 14,000 deliveries and monitoring 4,868 cases.

The commissioner praised the introduction of the MOTIVE initiative and calibrated drapes, saying the simple innovations had improved early detection and management of postpartum haemorrhage, one of the major causes of maternal deaths.

Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of WCAHealth, Dr Ufuoma Omo-Obi, said the project focused on scaling proven maternal and newborn health innovations to primary healthcare facilities.

He said Kano was selected because of its high contribution to Nigeria’s maternal mortality burden, adding that the intervention targeted 18 high-burden local government areas.

Omo-Obi said the programme strengthened healthcare workers through continuous mentorship rather than one-off training, adding that monitored facilities recorded more than 14,000 deliveries with significant reduction in preventable maternal deaths.