Sultan urges religious leaders to prevent maternal, child deaths

By Musa Ubandawaki, Sokoto

SOKOTO — The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has called for intensified community action to protect women and children from preventable deaths.

The Sultan made the call on Tuesday in Sokoto while declaring open a two-day orientation programme for religious leaders under the “Faith for Life” initiative, organised by the Sokoto State Directorate of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, and the European Union.

The programme brought together Imams, Islamic scholars and Christian clergy from the 23 Local Government Areas of the state to address issues including maternal and child health, nutrition, hygiene, vaccination and general community wellbeing.

The Sultan stressed that Islam and Christianity placed great importance on the preservation of human life, personal hygiene and environmental sanitation.

He urged religious leaders to use their influence to translate those teachings into practical actions that could improve the health and survival of mothers and children.

According to him, religious institutions and their leaders were strategically positioned to influence attitudes and behaviour at the grassroots because of the trust communities place in Imams, Islamic scholars and Christian clergy.

The Faith for Life initiative seeks to use teachings from the Qur’an and Bible to promote child survival, development, protection, hygiene and disease prevention.

Representing the Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Isa Onilu, Madam Amaka Odili urged religious leaders to take ownership of the initiative and make maternal and child health regular components of their sermons, teachings and community engagements.

Onilu said the programme was designed to help reduce maternal mortality and morbidity while promoting healthier practices, stressing that preventable deaths should not be accepted as inevitable.

He urged the participants to become active champions of the programme and extend its messages to families and communities across the state.

Sokoto begins digitalisation of religious activities

The Sokoto State Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Prof. Jabi Sani Maihula, assured that the state government would not support practices capable of undermining the health and wellbeing of residents.

Maihula reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to strengthening religious and social institutions through which communities could be reached.

He disclosed that the state had commenced the digitalisation of religious activities, including the development of a database containing information on Imams, mosques and other components of religious affairs.

He said the initiative was aimed at improving coordination and engagement with religious institutions.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Wurno, identified non-vaccination among some children as one of the factors contributing to outbreaks of preventable diseases, including the recent diphtheria outbreak.

He said measures had been put in place to address the situation and strengthen preventive healthcare.

UNICEF seeks stronger community participation

Speaking on behalf of UNICEF, the Head of its Sokoto Field Office, Dr Michael Juma, commended NOA for convening the interfaith engagement, describing Faith for Life as “a bridge between faith and action.”

Juma said an expected outcome of the initiative was increased demand for essential health services and stronger community participation in interventions designed to safeguard women and children.

The State Director of NOA, Alhaji Babangida Kurfi, charged the participating religious leaders to take the messages beyond the orientation programme and cascade them across the 23 Local Government Areas.

He said their influence could help drive positive behavioural change at household and community levels.

Kurfi said the broader objective was to strengthen community awareness, promote healthy practices and contribute to lasting peace and unity while improving health outcomes across Sokoto State.

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