To pilot programme aimed at ensuring safer deliveries for women in four Local Government Areas (LGAs), the Sokoto State government has launched the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII).
The four LGAs include Isa, Sabon Birni, Goronyo, and Dange Shuni local government areas are among the worst affected by maternal deaths in the state.
The state commissioner for health, Faruk Wurno, who chairs the task force committee inaugurated for the programme, said government was fully committed to driving the implementation of MAMII across the state.
“A roadmap has been developed, and within days the task force will swing into action to ensure every pregnant woman in Sokoto can access safe delivery services.
“We also plan to leverage our health insurance scheme to ensure poor and vulnerable women are fully captured in the system,” he said.
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Mr Wurno explained that the state received the implementation framework from the federal ministry of health and pledged that Sokoto would do all that is necessary to ensure the success of the project.
“This initiative aligns with Gov. Ahmed Aliyu’s 9-point Smart Agenda and will directly and indirectly strengthen our healthcare system,” he added.
Speaking on the federal government’s role, Adam Ahmad of the ministry of health’s sector-wide approach coordination office, described MAMII as a milestone in Nigeria’s health sector reforms.
According to him, government was revamping primary healthcare centres nationwide to meet Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) standards.
“This is with at least one facility in each local government area being upgraded to provide Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC),” he said.
Mr Ahmad further highlighted transportation as a major challenge in maternal health service delivery.
“That is why FG is strengthening the National Emergency Medical and Ambulance Services (NEMSAS) and the Rural Emergency Transport System (RETS).
“This will ensure that pregnant women, especially in rural areas, can reach functional health facilities safely,” he explained.
He also disclosed that government was investing heavily through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to improve infrastructure, human resources, and service delivery at the grassroots.
On Sokoto’s choice as a pilot state, he said data ranked it among the states with the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in Nigeria.
Representing the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, at the event, the district head of Wurno, Kabiru Alhassan, assured of the Sultanate Council’s support to the initiative.
The Sultan pledged that the council would mobilise grassroots structures to create awareness and encourage community participation.
