Sokoto Plans Free Delivery Kits, Solar Lighting to Tackle Maternal Mortality

The Sokoto State Government has announced plans to provide free delivery kits to women giving birth in public health facilities as part of measures to reduce maternal and newborn mortality across the state.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Abubakar, disclosed this on Monday in Sokoto during the dissemination of the Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) assessment report.

Abubakar said the government would also install solar lighting in labour rooms and maternity units while strengthening antenatal care services to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes.

According to him, Sokoto has recorded improvements in some key health indicators, including immunisation coverage and a gradual reduction in maternal and child mortality, but significant challenges still require urgent attention.

The commissioner identified the three major delays contributing to maternal deaths as delays in seeking medical care, delays in reaching health facilities and delays in receiving appropriate treatment after arrival.

“We are committed to addressing the three delays responsible for maternal mortality,” Abubakar said.

He explained that the assessment dissemination provided stakeholders with an opportunity to review the performance of the health sector, identify gaps, improve resource allocation and strengthen coordination between government institutions and development partners.

Abubakar stressed the importance of accurate and reliable health data in planning and accountability, saying findings from the assessment would guide the development of policies and programmes aimed at improving healthcare delivery across the state.

He further disclosed that Sokoto had implemented more than 60 per cent of resolutions reached at the National Health Council, describing the state as one of the leading states in implementing national health policies.

The commissioner, however, acknowledged persistent challenges, particularly inadequate financial protection for healthcare and the need for increased investment and reforms in the sector.

He called on development partners working in maternal health to make the reduction of maternal mortality a key component of their interventions in Sokoto State.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Sokoto State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Abba Shehu, urged stakeholders to extend the initiative to all 23 local government areas, especially rural communities.

Shehu noted that many of the challenges affecting maternal healthcare were more pronounced at the grassroots and could not be adequately addressed from the state capital alone.

He called for a wider campaign involving district heads, village heads and community leaders, assuring that local government chairmen were prepared to support initiatives aimed at improving maternal and newborn healthcare.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Sokoto State House of Assembly Committee on Health, Kabiru Dauda, pledged the legislature’s support for efforts to improve maternal and child healthcare.

Dauda said the Assembly would continue to support laws and policies designed to protect pregnant women and children while promoting access to quality healthcare services.

On her part, the UNFPA Sokoto Field Office representative, Dr Rabi Sagir, said the assessment dissemination was intended to translate health data into concrete actions rather than merely presenting statistics.

She said stakeholders would identify critical gaps in infrastructure, human resources and medical supplies affecting Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care services across the state’s 23 LGAs.

Sagir added that the process would seek policy and financial commitments from the state government, development partners and other stakeholders to incorporate the identified improvement measures into the state’s operational plans and budgets.

She also called for stronger collaboration among development partners and stakeholders to implement recommendations from the assessment and improve the availability, quality and accessibility of EmONC services across Sokoto State.