UNICEF Seeks Improved Infant, Maternal Welfare In North East

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has lamented the high level of maternal and child mortality rates in the Northeastern part of Nigeria, calling for improved infant and maternal welfare.

The Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Bauchi, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, gave the lamentation in an interview with newsmen during a 2-day high-level engagement with Bauchi State, local government policy makers and legislators toward improving sexual reproductive health, maternal newborn child healthcare and nutrition.

Rafique, however, assured that UNICEF would do everything possible to ensure that the menace is reduced drastically in all the UNICEF’s intervention states including Bauchi.

“UNICEF works for the mother, newborn children and tries to reduce maternal newborn child mortality.

“In Nigeria, especially the Northeast, we see that these mortality rates are very high and with support from the Canadian Government, we are doing this project which is about the reproductive and sexual reproductive health rights of adolescent girls.

“The project focuses on empowering and educating adolescent girls to become the healthy mothers of the future, which would automatically reduce maternal and child mortality in Bauchi state,” she said.

The UNICEF boss emphasised that all hands must be on the deck to ensure that a pregnant mother delivers in a safe environment with quality care to reduce the high level of maternal-child mortality in Bauchi state, hence the high-level engagement with relevant stakeholders.