SOKOTO TACKLES MATERNAL, CHILD DEATHS

The Sokoto State Government, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund, has inaugurated committees to strengthen efforts to reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths across the state.

The State Steering Committee and Local Government Committees on Maternal, Perinatal and Child Death Surveillance and Response are expected to review deaths, identify gaps in healthcare delivery and recommend measures to prevent avoidable fatalities.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Umar Abubakar, said the initiative would help the state understand the causes of maternal and child deaths and improve its response.

Officials said reducing mortality would require cooperation among government agencies, health workers, development partners and other stakeholders.

The committees will rely on accurate and timely data to identify weaknesses in the health system and guide interventions.

The Executive Secretary of the Sokoto State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Bilyaminu Yari Sifawa, described the initiative as timely and expressed confidence that it would contribute to reducing preventable deaths.

UNFPA also pledged continued technical support for the programme, while health authorities reaffirmed their commitment to using findings from death reviews to improve healthcare services for women, newborns and children.