950,000 women at risk in Zamfara – Commissioner

Zamfara State Health Commissioner Aisha Anka says no fewer than 950,000 women in the state are at high risk of maternal death.

Anka said this on Monday in Gusau, the state capital, during the opening ceremony of a five-day workshop on preventable maternal deaths, for health workers in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was organized by a non-governmental organization, Health for Life and Development Foundation, in collaboration with the state Ministry of Health and the Hospital Services Management Board.

The United Nations Population Fund supported the training.

The commissioner, represented by the executive secretary of the State Hospital Services Management Board, Mustafa Marafa, described the training as key.

According to the commissioner, statistics attribute 14 percent of the total maternal deaths worldwide to Nigeria.

He noted that Northern Nigeria, including Zamfara State, had a record 70 percent of maternal deaths in Nigeria.

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Anka explained that the 50 nurses and midwives who attended the training were selected from different health centers across the state.

“The workshop signifies the government’s commitment to improving maternal health in the state.

“This training aims to ensure the safe delivery of babies in all health centers in the state.

“The participants were carefully selected: they are nurses and midwives in charge of delivery rooms in health centers across the state,” she said.

“As we all know, Governor Dauda Lawal declared a state of emergency in the health sector and the state government embarked on a complete renovation of health facilities across the state.

“This training is part of the government’s commitment to promote the capacity, manpower and skills of our healthcare workers across the state,” he explained.

Earlier, the Executive Director of the Health for Life and Development Foundation, Abubakar Danladi, said the training was organized based on the observation of an increase in maternal mortality in the state.

“This training aims to ensure that our health workers are well equipped to handle health cases related to maternal deaths.

“This is to build the capacity of our nurses and midwives on managing the direct and indirect causes of preventable maternal deaths.

“Part of the mandate of this training is for participants to transmit the skills they will acquire to their respective health centers,” he explained.

(YAYA)