By Iliya Kure
Kaduna (Nigeria) — Stakeholders on Family Planning in Nigeria have expressed concern over absence of maternal mortality data for Kaduna State, saying relying on the regional figure will not help in planning interventions for the state.
The stakeholders comprising of representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health, Kaduna State Ministry for Health, Local Governments Department of Health, Development Partners and Civil Society Organisations expressed the concern in Kaduna at the Dissemination of National Task Shifting and Task Sharing Policy of Nigeria.
Kaduna State, like most States rely on the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), which only provides figures according to geo-political zones
The meeting observed that it was high time Kaduna State conducted its own survey to ascertain its current challenges – the survey would provide specific information as to where these deaths occur and possible reasons for the mortality, whether cultural, or attitudinal – it would in turn help the State Government and partners know exactly what intervention was needed and where.
One of the speakers, Mrs. Chinwe Onumonu said Kaduna could learn from Lagos State which felt unsatisfied with the southwest figures and went ahead to conduct its own survey.
Onumonu identified challenges facing the health sector in Nigeria to include “weak evidence based mechanisms for monitoring performance, as well as insufficient funding for family planning at all levels.”
She however commended Nigerian government for coming out with a family planning blueprint which she said will go a long way in reducing maternal deaths in the country, asking states to make significant effort in meeting the national target.
In a paper, Executive Director of Kaduna State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Hadizah Balarabe said the Task Shifting policy when implemented at the state level will help address human resource gap currently experienced in the health sector, and help reduce maternal mortality, especially at the rural areas.
She said the Agency is already taking step in bringing all Primary Healthcare workers under one management for effective delivery of services and supervision.
Dr. Balarabe stressed that Kaduna State is currently working at standardising one Primary Healthcare Centre in each of the 255 wards in the state and equip them with requisite manpower to meet the health needs of communities, especially women and children.
Earlier in an address of welcome, Senior Technical Advisor of Pathfinder International, Dr. Jaiyeola Layiwola, said objective of the meeting was for Kaduna stakeholders to adopt relevant components of the policy, especially Maternal and Newborn Health, as well as Family Planning components, and to also establish a task team that will drive the operationalization of the policy in the State.
