The Minister of Health and Social Welfare Ali Pate has raised concerns over the high rate of maternal mortality in Katsina State.
He emphasized the need for the deployment of more skilled birth attendants and community-based health workers, provision of essential maternal and reproductive health commodities.
Pate, therefore called on the state government to intensify efforts in tracking immunization progress, ensuring full coverage of eligible children while identifying and addressing gaps. He also stressed the need for strengthened collaboration to ensure safe motherhood initiatives.
The minister disclosed when he led a high-powered delegation comprising representatives from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Aliko Dangote Foundation and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to pay a courtesy visit to the Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda at the Katsina Government House on Wednesday.
According to him, the recent local government elections in the state, provide an opportunity for chairmen to be actively involved in immunization campaigns and ensure accountability at the grassroots level.
Pate, however, commended the Katsina State Government’s efforts in revitalizing healthcare facilities, encouraging it to leverage federal initiatives such as Project Hope and federal budgetary allocations to strengthen the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina.
In his response, Governor Radda reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery, expanding infrastructure, and advancing routine immunization and polio eradication efforts across the state.
He highlighted the administration’s achievements in improving access to quality healthcare, which he said, include: the completion of 158 primary healthcare facilities project, awarding contracts for additional 102 PHCs, bringing the total to nearly 300.
The Governor highlighted the crucial role of partnerships in advancing healthcare, acknowledging the support of the Gates Foundation, Aliko Dangote Foundation, UNICEF, WHO and other development partners.
“By the end of this administration, we aim to have 360 fully functional primary healthcare centers across the state, each equipped with off-grid staff quarters, ambulances, and essential medical equipment.
“We are establishing a state-of-the-art dialysis center and an advanced imaging center to reduce the need for medical travel abroad and position Katsina as a hub for medical tourism,” Radda stated.
On his part, the Chairman of the Polio Oversight Board at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Chris Elias commended Nigeria’s remarkable progress in eliminating wild poliovirus.
He emphasized the role of strong political leadership in the final stretch of polio eradication and reaffirmed the Gates Foundation’s commitment to supporting Katsina in achieving this goal.
“Since 2016, Nigeria has remained free of wild poliovirus. However, the fight is not over—we are now confronting variant vaccine-derived polioviruses, which require sustained commitment at all levels,” he said.
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