Mamaye Program Decry non Review of Data on Maternal, Newborn Deaths in Bauchi State
By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Concern by the persistent preventable deaths among pregnant mothers and newborn children during births in Bauchi State, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded Evidence for Action(E4A) Mamaye Program has expressed concern over the State Government’s weak implementation process of it’s Maternal, Peri-Natal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) initiative.
The Country lead of E4A Nigeria, Dr. Vincent Ahonsi expressed this concern at a five days Sustainability Planning Workshop organised for select members of Bauchi State Accountability Mechanism for Maternal New-born Child Health(BaSAM MNCH) held at Chartwell hotel and Suites Bauchi.
While commending the activities of BaSAM in the state, Dr. Ahonsi expressed the program’s readiness to support the state Government in reviewing the implementation of it’s MPDSR in order to reverse maternal and infant mortality in the state.
He said that the MPDSR review would identify causes ,proffer solutions and avoid further recurrence of such deaths in the society.
According to him, E4A has trained health personnel in 26 health facilities on the state on MPDRS.
“MPDRS review will no doubt identify the causes why pregnant women and their babies die during child birth and also proffer solutions in that regard.
Commenting on the Sustainability Workshop, Ahonsi said it was to support the coalition develop a frame work that would guide the activities of the coalition after the exit of E4A from Bauchi State next year.
Earlier, the co-chair of the coalition, Mr Ibrahim Ladan Wunti said the coalition would no doubt continue to advocate for increase in funding for Reproductive Health,Maternal,Newborn,Child Adolecent Health and Nutrition(RMNCAH +N) in Bauchi state.
Wunti commended the giant strides by the NGO to invest in the state health sector since 2014.
He noted that E4A has supported Bauchi state Government’s agenda in the health sector through the years.
He commended the present administration on prioritizing the health sector with the consistent allocation of 15percent of the state annual budget to health.
Our correspondent reports that the coalition is made of officials from relevant MDAs, Civil society Organisations and the Media.