The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has expressed new worries about the concerning condition of maternal and child health in Kano State and called for immediate community and governmental action to save lives.
The call was made Thursday in Kano during a workshop that CHRICED, with assistance from MISEREOR/KZE, Germany, organized to train citizen monitors on primary healthcare service delivery.
In a welcome statement, board member Hajiya Nafisa Ado said that the maternal and child mortality rates in Kano were still concerning on behalf of Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, the Executive Director of CHRICED.
“Kano is far from meeting national and international health benchmarks with a maternal mortality rate of 576 deaths per 100,000 live births and a neonatal mortality rate of 59 per 1,000 live births,” she said.
She pointed out that the figures reflect actual communities and families impacted by subpar healthcare systems.
“These figures represent lives lost, families devastated, and communities left vulnerable; they are not just statistics,” she continued.
She stated that the workshop was intended to increase community involvement, foster transparency in service delivery, and strengthen the ability of citizen monitors to track the application of the Free Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (FMNCH) Law in primary healthcare facilities.
Hajiya Zuwairah Omar Muhammad, CHRICED’s Programme and Mobilisation Officer, also spoke at the event and stated that 30 monitors from Kano’s three senatorial districts were undergoing training.
She clarified that the monitoring exercise’s initial coverage of the local government areas of Gwale and Kumbotso has now grown to include nine LGAs.
We aim to produce thorough data at the conclusion of this exercise that will demonstrate the true status of primary healthcare in Kano State and whether the FMNCH Law is being applied, Zuwairah stated.
She emphasized that the results would assist the government and development partners in determining which areas require immediate attention.
“Action that lowers maternal deaths in Kano is our ultimate goal.” It feels like a plane crash involving women and children in this state every day that we fail, and no one is speaking out,” she cautioned.
On May 10, 2023, the Free Maternal, Newborn, and Child Healthcare (FMNCH) Law went into force. In Kano State, it ensures a variety of vital services for women and children.
These consist of free prenatal care, delivery services, cesarean sections, postpartum care, and treatment for pregnancy-related issues.
Along with free ambulance services and treatment for STDs, the law also offers free medical care to newborns, infants, and children under five for a minimum of one year.
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