UNICEF Offers Free Maternal, Child Health Services In Bauchi

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has appealed to caregivers in Bauchi state to take full advantage of the ongoing Integrated Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Week by bringing eligible children and family members to access free healthcare services.

Commenting on the MNCH yesterday, the chief of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, said the weeklong intervention is aimed at providing essential healthcare services at no cost to newborns, children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and nursing mothers across more than 600 primary healthcare facilities in the state.

She explained that the initiative was designed to improve maternal and child health outcomes by providing a wide range of preventive and lifesaving services under one roof, enabling families to receive multiple healthcare interventions during a single visit.

Rafique disclosed that UNICEF and its partners invested N460 million to procure and distribute critical medical commodities for the exercise.

According to her, the supplies include 311,500 doses of blue Vitamin A capsules, 1.2 million doses of red Vitamin A capsules, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, and Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS), all of which are available for eligible beneficiaries throughout the campaign.

She noted that the integrated approach would improve efficiency, expand access to healthcare, and ensure that more women and children benefit from lifesaving interventions.

Rafique expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and development partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nutrition International, FHI and MITOSATH, for their continued collaboration in improving the health and well-being of women and children.

She also commended Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, and the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board (BASPHCDB) for providing the enabling environment that facilitated the launch of the health campaign.