Kaduna State Government has intensified efforts to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths by strengthening emergency obstetric and neonatal care, improving clinical workflows and equipping frontline health workers with practical skills.
The State Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma K. Ahmed, disclosed this at a three-day co-creation and work-planning workshop on Training on Emergency Action and Workflow Management in Obstetrics and Neonatal Care (TEAM-OB/NEO) in Kaduna. She said maternal and newborn survival remained a priority of the Governor Uba Sani administration, stressing the need for timely, safe and dignified care for pregnant women and newborns.
Ahmed said effective management of obstetric and neonatal emergencies required rapid response, functional equipment, adequate medical commodities, clear clinical workflows and coordinated teamwork among healthcare providers. She urged participants to develop an actionable plan that could be integrated into the state’s Annual Operational Plan, with clear responsibilities, measurable indicators and sustainable financing.
Presenting data from the intervention, Dr Alhassan Momoh said 69,668 deliveries were monitored across participating health facilities between July 2025 and August 2026. He added that the use of calibrated blood-collection drapes increased from 34 per cent to 60 per cent, while 2,281 cases of postpartum haemorrhage were recorded, representing three per cent of the monitored deliveries. Participants subsequently called for expanded TEAM-OB/NEO training, simulation centres, neonatal heart-rate monitors, resuscitation equipment, functional newborn corners and continuous onsite mentorship.
The KADMAM Co-Chair, Garba Muhammad, commended the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, TAConnect and other partners for supporting the initiative. He urged stakeholders to strengthen referral systems, simulation-based learning, commodity security and quality assurance, while ensuring government ownership and sustained funding to institutionalise emergency maternal and newborn care across the state.
