Maternal Deaths: 950,000 women at risk in Zamfara – Commissioner

The Commissioner for Health in Zamfara State, Aisha Anka, says no fewer than 950,000 women in the state are at high risk of maternal deaths.

Ms Anka said this on Monday in Gusau, the state capital, during the opening ceremony of a five-day workshop on preventable maternal deaths, for health workers in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was organised by a non-governmental organisation, Health for Life and Development Foundation, in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Health and the Hospital Services Management Board.

The United Nations Population Fund supported the training.

The commissioner, represented by the Executive Secretary of the State Hospital Services Management Board, Mustafa Marafa, described the training as key.

According to the commissioner, statistics credit Nigeria as having recorded 14 per cent of the total maternal deaths globally.

She noted that northern Nigeria, including Zamfara State, had a record of 70 per cent of maternal deaths in Nigeria.

Ms Anka explained that the 50 nurses and midwives attending the training were selected from different health facilities across the state.

“The workshop signifies the government’s commitment to improve maternal health in the state.

“This training is aimed at ensuring the safe delivery of babies across all health facilities in the state.

“The participants were carefully selected – they are nurses and midwives in charge of labour rooms in the health facilities across the state,” she said.

“As we are all aware, Governor Dauda Lawal declared a state of emergency in the health sector, and the state government embarked on a total renovation of health facilities across the state.

“This training is part of the government’s commitment to promote capacity, manpower and skills of our health workers across the state,” she explained.

Earlier, the Executive Director of Health for Life and Development Foundation, Abubakar Danladi, said the training was organised based on the realisation of an increase in maternal mortality in the state.

“This training is to ensure that our health workers are well equipped to handle health cases related to maternal deaths.

“This is for capacity building of our nurses and midwives on management of direct and indirect causes of preventable maternal deaths.

“Part of the mandate of this training is for participants to cascade the skills they will acquire to their respective health facilities,” he explained.

(NAN)