Taraba State government has put in place measures to prevent pregnant women dying from bleeding and other complications in the state. It introduced Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services (CHIPS), which, it believes, will assist in reducing maternal and infant mortality in communities across the state.

At the flag-off of the programme in Jalingo, yesterday, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Micha Madaki, said the government engaged no fewer than 159 CHIPS agents.

He said: “It is no longer news that Nigeria is losing about one million women and under-five children to preventable causes yearly. Women are dying from bleeding before getting to health facilities, while children are dying from malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia.

“To reduce these deaths, CHIPS agents will be domiciling and working in various communities. If there are pregnancy complications, these CHIPS agents can raise the alarm.”

According to the government, the CHIPS initiative is basically about reducing maternal and child deaths in Taraba communities, and its success lies on the shoulders of traditional rulers.

With the official kick-off of the programme, Taraba government expressed optimism that low and non-compliance with immunisation and other Primary Health Care (PHC) services would cease.

Wife of the governor, Agyin Kefas, said the programme is designed to encourage rural households to seek primary healthcare at clinics and outreach programmes.

Critical to attaining Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the agents, she said, are expected to link households to healthcare systems, complement national data systems, improve health outcomes and strengthen the community component of PHC.

Executive Secretary of CHIPS, Dr. Tukura Nuhu, who was overwhelmed by the massive turnout of government functionaries and health experts at the flag-off, stressed the need for government to help the agency with office spaces.

CHIPS personnel, whom he said are well trained, are selected from across the local councils of the state.