Pregnant women, nursing mothers and caregivers have been urged to take advantage of healthcare services available at Primary Healthcare Centres across Niger State as the state government flagged off the 2026 First Round June/July Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW).
The wife of the Niger state Governor, Fatima Umar Bago, made the call while flagging off the exercise at the Basic Health Centre, Sabon Wuse, in Tafa Local Government Area.
“The health of our mothers and children remains central to the New Niger Agenda. I therefore call on pregnant women, nursing mothers and caregivers to take advantage of the services being provided, while urging traditional and religious leaders to mobilize their communities so that no woman or child is left behind,” she said.
The programme, organized by the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency (NSPHCDA) in collaboration with development partners and supported by the United States Government, is aimed at improving access to life-saving health and nutrition services for women and children across the state.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Murtala Mohammed Bagana, described maternal and child health as a key component of sustainable development.
“The healthy well-being of women and children is a development imperative because every healthy mother strengthens the foundation of a family, and every healthy child represents a future contributor to the social and economic progress of our State,” he explained.
The Executive Director of the NSPHCDA, Dr. Junaidu Inuwa, said the campaign would expand access to essential interventions, including routine immunization, vitamin A supplementation, nutrition screening, growth monitoring, antenatal care promotion, family planning counselling and health education.
“This campaign represents one of our most important opportunities to deliver integrated, life-saving interventions, reach underserved populations, and strengthen our collective efforts to improve maternal and child health outcomes across the State,” Inuwa stated.
He called on parents, caregivers, community leaders and religious institutions to support the exercise to ensure its success.
In a goodwill message delivered on behalf of the Chief of UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, Dr. Gerida Birukila, UNICEF described the programme as “a critical platform for accelerating equitable access to life-saving interventions, strengthening routine health services, and advancing progress towards Universal Health Coverage.”
The organisation also urged families to utilize the services provided during the exercise, stressing that collective action is needed to ensure every mother survives and every child thrives.
The Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week will provide integrated medical and nutrition services to women and children across the 25 local government areas of Niger State.
