The Federal Government has unveiled the intervention suite for the implementation of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) in Kano.
The integrated health program of the central government, in collaboration with the state governments, local governments, and the coordinating support of international donor agencies, is targeted at reducing the alarming rate of maternal and newborn child mortality in Nigeria.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Mohammed Ali Pate, who decried the alarming rate of maternal and newborn child mortality in Nigeria, said the MAMII program was initiated as part of President Tinubu’s mandate to address this growth.
The Minister, who was represented by Dr. Ashiru Adamu Abubakar, explained that MAMII was conceived with a statewide approach, integrating Sub-State and partners to find lasting solutions to the issue.
“The key mandate from Mr. President is to reduce the alarming rate of maternal and child mortality in Nigeria. In fulfillment of the mandate, the Minister launched MAMII, which will be driven by a sector-wide approach to address health challenges, including maternal and child mortality in Nigeria,” the Minister launched MAMII.
“The reason for this new intervention was the failure of several previous interventions that have not been able to make an impact. This project is planned to engage the community, hear from them about the challenges, and provide solutions. Rather than isolating interventions, the Federal Government is moving to the grassroots and working with stakeholders to provide solutions,” Abubakar said.
The National Coordinator of MAMII, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, reminded that Nigeria accounts for 20 percent of the global burden of maternal and child health and expressed concern that Kano has the highest rate in the country, with 18 local governments highly burdened.
Dr. Adeyanju explained that the alarming situation in Kano necessitated the first implementation workshop of the project in the state, where all stakeholders converged to drive a state-specific process that will address the challenge.
“The Federal Government, international organizations, state, and local governments are here to find a common ground and approach to solving maternal and child mortality. The key action is that no mother should die during childbirth.”
“We are in Kano to design the implementation of MAMII, the process of state-specific content that will look at the drivers that will enable us to find solutions and reduce the rate. We shall be looking at issues around access to qualified facilities, transportation for pregnant women, upgrading existing care centers, and building the capacity of experts,” Dr. Adeyanju added.
On his part, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Labaran Yusuf Abubakar, regretted the increased rate in Kano but attributed the poor state to the total neglect of the sector by the immediate past administration in the state.
Dr. Abubakar narrated how the present administration inherited zero-dose immunization service, which he said contributed to 80 percent of diphtheria cases in Kano. He reaffirmed the commitment of the Kano State Government to support all efforts of the Federal Government through the MAMII program to reduce the negative indices in Kano.
