The Sokoto State Government has announced plans to provide free delivery kits to women giving birth in public health facilities as part of measures to reduce maternal and newborn deaths across the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Umar Abubakar, disclosed this on Monday at the dissemination of the Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) assessment report in Sokoto.
Abubakar also announced plans to install solar lighting in labour rooms and maternity units and strengthen antenatal care services to address factors contributing to maternal and newborn mortality.
He said although the state had recorded improvements in some key health indicators, including immunisation coverage and a gradual decline in maternal and child mortality, more interventions were needed.
“We are committed to addressing the three delays responsible for maternal mortality. These include delays in seeking medical attention, delays in reaching health facilities and delays in receiving adequate medical attention,” he said.
The commissioner said the dissemination of the EmONC assessment report would enable stakeholders to evaluate the performance of the health sector, identify gaps, improve resource allocation and strengthen coordination between government agencies and development partners.
He stressed the importance of reliable health data in planning and accountability, saying the state would use evidence from the assessment to develop policies and programmes aimed at improving healthcare delivery.
Abubakar further disclosed that Sokoto had implemented more than 60 per cent of resolutions reached at the National Health Council, describing the state as one of the leading states in the implementation of national health policies.
He, however, identified inadequate financial protection and the need for increased investment and reforms as some of the challenges confronting the health sector.
The commissioner urged development partners working in maternal health to incorporate the reduction of maternal mortality into their programmes in the state.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Sokoto State Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Abba Shehu, called for the extension of maternal health interventions to all 23 local government areas, particularly rural communities.
“The problem we are discussing is at the local government level. You cannot find all these problems in the state capital.
“We need to extend this programme across the 23 local governments so that we can have a wider campaign involving district heads, village heads and community leaders,” Shehu said.
He assured stakeholders that local government chairmen were prepared to support initiatives aimed at improving maternal and newborn healthcare at the grassroots.
The Chairman of the Sokoto State House of Assembly Committee on Health, Hon. Kabiru Dauda, also pledged the legislature’s support for the initiative.
Dauda said the Assembly would continue to enact and support laws and policies aimed at protecting pregnant women and children and improving access to quality healthcare services.
Earlier, the UNFPA Sokoto Field Office representative, Dr Rabi Sagir, said the dissemination was intended to move beyond the presentation of statistics to translating the findings into concrete interventions.
She said the assessment would help stakeholders identify critical infrastructure, human resource and supply gaps affecting Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care services across the state’s 23 local government areas.
Sagir added that stakeholders would work towards securing policy and financial commitments from the state government, development partners and other key actors to integrate the improvement plan into the state’s operational plans and budgets.
She urged stakeholders to translate the assessment findings into practical interventions that would improve the availability, quality and accessibility of EmONC services across Sokoto State.