Dr. Bashir Ibrahim Dankadai, District Head of Tudun Wada and Chairman of the Emirate Council on Health, has disclosed that many well-equipped health facilities in Kano still fail to adequately serve women in rural communities.
Dr. Dankadai made this known while speaking at a validation workshop on the draft report of the Facility Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Readiness Assessment, organised on Wednesday by the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED).
“The state government is doing everything to make the facilities ready. But even if the facilities are 100 percent ready, if they are not accessible by the right patients, it will not be of any use,” he said.
He identified fear, physical accessibility and financial constraints as the key obstacles.
While some women live close to health centres, those in distant or hard-to-reach areas are often unable to access emergency care. Financial barriers also prevent families from spending on transport or treatment when faced with competing needs.
In addition, socio-cultural beliefs in some communities discourage women from delivering in hospitals.
Dr Dankadai urged the government to consider innovative solutions to overcome these challenges.
“Even small interventions like rural ambulance services can drastically reduce maternal and child deaths,” he said.
Earlier, CHRICED Executive Director, Dr Zikirullahi M. Ibrahim, explained that reviewing the assessment’s findings would help identify gaps in infrastructure, staffing and service delivery, thereby guiding targeted interventions to reduce maternal and child deaths.
“Maternal and child health is not only a public health concern. It is a moral imperative and a global development priority,” Dr Ibrahim said.
“We acknowledge the efforts of the Kano State Government in addressing these challenges. As a civil society organisation, CHRICED believes that one of the most meaningful ways to support the government is by empowering citizens with accurate information, highlighting what is working, and constructively identifying areas that require urgent attention.
“As we examine the preliminary findings today, it is important to reflect deeply on the state of MNCH service delivery in Kano. Nigeria currently accounts for nearly 20 per cent of global maternal and child deaths, with Kano State bearing a disproportionate share of this burden.
“Reversing this trend requires bold, coordinated and sustained action, improving access to quality healthcare for women and children, strengthening emergency transport systems, upgrading primary healthcare facilities, and investing in the training and welfare of frontline health workers,” he added.
Dr Ibrahim called for stronger collaboration between government, development partners and civil society to translate the assessment’s recommendations into practical action across primary healthcare facilities in the state.
The Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, assured that the state is taking maternal mortality seriously and is committed to reducing both maternal and child deaths.
He added that all recommendations from the assessment would be carefully considered.
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