Over 110,000 Pregnant Women Enrolled for Free Antenatal in Two Years – Kano Govt
The Kano state government has said that a total of 110,395 pregnant women from communities across Kano State enrolled to access free antenatal healthcare services from 2022 until date.
However, the Executive Secretary, Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA), Dr Rahila Murktar, made this known at a Safe Motherhood symposium organised by the state Ministry of Health in collaboration with development partners.
Dr Murktar, on her presentation titled ‘Role of KSCHMA on Improving Maternal Health in Kano,’ said 50 per cent of its enrollees are women who have access to comprehensive safe motherhood services, including drugs and laboratory investigations.
She stated that the agency has also facilitated quality access for thousands of women of reproductive age to benefit from essential maternal healthcare services.
According to her, the delivery of 21,824 services and 964 caesarian sections was carried out within the period.
She also disclosed that the services were provided to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, promote equity, and remove financial barriers for women to accessing comprehensive health care services.
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While calling for a more collaborative effort to complement government efforts in offering women a joyful motherhood experience, Dr. Murktar pointed out that there are a large number of women who do not have this privilege, stressing that only 3.9 percent of the Kano population is currently enrolled in KSCHMA programmes.
“Opportunity exists for organisations, communities, and individuals to key into KSCHMA programmes and complement the government’s effort to cover more women and reduce the rate of maternal deaths,” she added.
Speaking on the occasion, Falakin Bichi and Abba Waziri said accessibility to healthcare services has remained a great challenge for rural dwellers, hence the need for development partners and wealthy individuals to extend their kind gestures directly to those areas.
While the UNICEF Health Specialist, Maternal, New Born, and Child Health, Kano Field Office, Saudat Bashir, said the organisation, whose activities dwell more on women and children, would continue in its support to see that maternal mortality is reduced to the barest minimum,.
She described the state of maternal mortality as worrisome and, as such, urged stakeholders such as community and traditional leaders, the ulamas, and civil society organisations to work hard and have a strategic approach of more action than making statements towards achieving desired results.
