Zamfara State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Aisha M.Z. Anka, has sounded the alarm that over 950,000 women in the state are at high risk of maternal deaths.
She made this statement in Gusau, the state capital, during the opening ceremony of a five-day workshop focused on preventing maternal deaths for health workers in the state. The workshop was organized by the Health for Life and Development Foundation in collaboration with the Zamfara State Ministry of Health and the Hospital Services Management Board, with support from the United Nations Population Fund.
Dr. Anka highlighted that Nigeria accounts for 14 percent of global maternal deaths, with northern Nigeria, including Zamfara, contributing to 70 percent of the country’s maternal deaths. She added that the 50 nurses and midwives attending the training were selected from various health institutions across the state.
“The workshop demonstrates the government’s commitment to improving maternal health in the state. This training aims to ensure the safe delivery of babies across all health facilities in the state,” she said. “The participants were selected from various medical institutions and are responsible for labor rooms in health facilities across the state.”
She also noted that Governor Dauda Lawal had declared a state of emergency in the health sector and initiated a complete renovation of health facilities across the state. “This training is part of the government’s commitment to enhancing the capacity, manpower, and skills of our health workers across the state,” she added.
Dr. Abubakar Danladi, Director of Health for Life and Development Foundation, explained that the workshop was organized due to the increasing maternal mortality rate in the state. “This training aims to ensure that our health workers are well-equipped and trained to handle health cases related to maternal deaths. It focuses on building the capacity of our nurses and midwives to manage direct and indirect causes of preventable maternal deaths. Participants are expected to cascade the skills they acquire to their respective health facilities,” he stated.
