The Kano State Government has inaugurated and deployed 1,018 frontline health workers to 18 local government areas as part of a renewed push to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths.
The deployment, carried out in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners, comprises 380 Skilled Birth Attendants and 716 Community-Based Health Workers under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative.
Speaking at the inauguration, UNICEF’s Officer-in-Charge and Chief of Field Office in Kano, Dr Karanveer Singh, described the initiative as a milestone in the state’s efforts to achieve universal health coverage.
He said the deployment would improve access to quality healthcare services in rural and underserved communities, noting that the personnel would deliver care directly at the grassroots.
“These health workers will not just provide services but also bring hope, dignity and quality care closer to the people,” Singh said.
He commended the Kano State Ministry of Health, the State Primary Health Care Management Board, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and the Federal Ministry of Health for strengthening community healthcare delivery through improved training and support for health workers.
Singh added that UNICEF would continue to support the programme across 200 wards in the benefiting LGAs and urged the government to sustain the initiative.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Labaran Yusuf, said the recruitment and deployment were aimed at tackling high maternal and neonatal mortality rates in the state.
He explained that the workers were engaged through the State Primary Health Care Management Board, with support from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, to boost service delivery at the community level.
Yusuf identified key health challenges in the state to include high maternal and neonatal deaths, malnutrition, and a large number of unimmunised children.
According to him, the newly recruited personnel would focus on maternal and child health, immunisation, and nutrition to improve health outcomes.
“We want them to go into the communities, work closely with the people and contribute to reducing maternal mortality and improving child survival,” he said.
The commissioner added that although the state had recorded improvements in recent years, more efforts were needed to achieve zero maternal and neonatal deaths.
He expressed optimism that the deployment would strengthen primary healthcare services and reduce preventable deaths among women and children in the state.
