UNICEF decries high maternal, child mortality in Kano – Tribune Online

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised concern over the high rate of maternal and child mortality in Kano State, identifying the state as one of the areas with the heaviest burden of deaths among mothers and children in Nigeria.

UNICEF disclosed that the alarming trend is particularly prevalent in the 18 local government areas covering more than 200 wards, where access to skilled maternal and child healthcare services remains limited.

Speaking during a state-level training on the Maternal, Neonatal and Child Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative (MAMII) in Kano, the Chief of Field Operations and Emergency at UNICEF Nigeria, Judith Leveillee, said only 50 percent of pregnant women in the state receive care from skilled health providers.

She added that just 36 percent of deliveries in the state are attended by skilled birth attendants, a situation she described as worrisome and a major contributor to preventable deaths among mothers and newborns.

Leveillee further revealed that newborn mortality accounts for about 59 percent of child deaths in the state, while the under-five mortality rate remains significantly high, underscoring the urgent need for sustained interventions.

Describing the situation as a serious public health challenge, she called for urgent and coordinated efforts among stakeholders, alongside sustained implementation of targeted health programmes to reverse the trend.

Despite the challenges, Leveillee commended the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Kano government for aligning with the national health priorities aimed at reducing maternal and child deaths across the country.

She assured that UNICEF will continue to support the implementation of the MAMII initiative and the community-based health worker programme in the targeted wards to improve access to quality healthcare services.

Director-general of the state Primary Healthcare Management Board, Professor Salisu Ahmad Ibrahim, represented by the Director of Family Health, Dr. Aliyu Zubair Maidutse, reaffirmed the board’s commitment to delivering quality and people-centred healthcare services across the state.

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He noted that adopting the MAMII approach will enhance efficiency in the primary healthcare system and improve service delivery at the grassroots level.

In her remarks, the director of Community Health Services at the NPHCDA, Dr. Nana Sanda Abubakar, emphasised the importance of collaboration, capacity building and strategic coordination among stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.