Maternal, child mortality remains alarming in Kano – CHRICED raises concern

The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has raised fresh concerns over what it described as the alarming state of maternal and child health in Kano State, urging urgent government and community action to save lives.

The call was made on Thursday in Kano during a capacity training workshop for citizen monitors on primary healthcare service delivery, organised by CHRICED with support from MISEREOR/KZE, Germany.

Delivering a welcome statement on behalf of the Executive Director of CHRICED, Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, board member Hajiya Nafisa Ado said maternal and child mortality figures in Kano remained worrisome.

“With a maternal mortality rate of 576 deaths per 100,000 live births, and neonatal mortality at 59 per 1,000 live births, Kano is far from meeting national and global health benchmarks,” she said.

She noted that the statistics represent real families and communities affected by poor health systems. 

“These numbers are not mere statistics, they represent lives lost, families devastated, and communities left vulnerable,” she added.

According to her, the workshop was designed to build the capacity of citizen monitors to track the implementation of the Free Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (FMNCH) Law in primary healthcare centres, strengthen community participation, and promote transparency in service delivery.

Also speaking at the event, CHRICED’s Programme and Mobilisation Officer, Hajiya Zuwairah Omar Muhammad, said 30 monitors were being trained from across Kano’s three senatorial districts.

She explained that the scope of the monitoring exercise, which initially covered Gwale and Kumbotso local government areas, has now expanded to nine LGAs.

“At the end of this exercise, we want to come up with comprehensive data to show the actual state of primary healthcare in Kano State and whether the FMNCH Law are being implemented,” Zuwairah said.

She stressed that the findings would help the government and development partners identify areas needing urgent intervention. 

“Our ultimate goal is to see action that reduces maternal deaths in Kano. Every day that we fail, it is as if a plane crash is happening with women and children in this state, and nobody is saying anything,” she warned.

The Free Maternal, Newborn and Child Healthcare (FMNCH) Law, came into effect on May 10, 2023. It guarantees a wide range of essential services for women and children in Kano State. 

These include free antenatal care, delivery services, caesarean sections, treatment of pregnancy-related complications, and post-natal care. 

The law also provides free healthcare for newborns, infants, and children under five for at least one year, alongside ambulance services, treatment for sexually transmitted diseases among others.

Maternal, child mortality remains alarming in Kano – CHRICED raises concern