The Kwara government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing teenage pregnancies and improving health outcomes across the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Amina El-Imam, stated this on Saturday during a two-day programme on the finalisation of the 2026 Joint Annual Review (JAR) of the health sector in Ilorin.

Ms El-Imam said the government, in collaboration with development partners, had implemented programmes to reduce teenage pregnancy and child marriage.

She said the interventions included community sensitisation and other measures aimed at improving maternal and child health outcomes.

According to her, Kwara has recorded significant progress in maternal health and family planning.

The commissioner attributed the achievements to sustained health sector reforms and investments by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

“These reforms have focused on infrastructure development, primary healthcare revitalisation, human resource strengthening, health insurance expansion and aggressive disease control programmes,” she said.

Ms El-Imam described the JAR as a critical platform for accountability, performance assessment, learning, and strategic planning.

She said the review provided an opportunity to assess progress, identify challenges, and agree on priority actions.

The commissioner added that institutionalising the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) had improved coordination, planning, and collaboration among stakeholders.

On maternal and newborn health, Ms El-Imam said the government had prioritised capacity building for frontline health workers and strengthened referral systems.

She identified the State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (SEMSAS) and RESMAT as major interventions.

According to her, the initiatives aim to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths across the state.

She also highlighted investments in the Children Specialist Hospital, Centre Igboro, and expanded midwifery training institutions.

Ms El-Imam said the initiatives would strengthen specialised healthcare services and build the state’s health workforce capacity.

She disclosed that Kwara had recorded outstanding malaria case management, with ACT treatment rates ranging from 97 to 100 per cent.

The commissioner said the performance was recorded across the state’s 16 local government areas.

She, however, identified gaps in IPTp uptake, facility-based deliveries, and postnatal care utilisation.

According to her, the gaps aligned with priorities under MAMII, HOPE-PHC, and the state’s Annual Operational Plan.

She said the initiatives would guide future interventions aimed at improving maternal and child health outcomes.

Ms El-Imam urged participants to provide evidence-based recommendations to reduce maternal and child mortality.

She also urged them to accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) across the state.

Speaking on the sidelines, the SWAp state coordinator, Ola Ahmed, said the annual review assessed the health sector’s performance over the past year.

“We look at what we have done well, identify areas where performance was below expectations, and discuss the gaps,” he said.

Mr Ahmed said the review compared current performance with previous targets to determine the progress achieved.

He said the findings would guide planning for 2027 and help the government consolidate its achievements.

According to him, the process will also address identified gaps and improve healthcare delivery across the state.

“The finalisation meeting marks the end of this year’s review process, while implementation of recommendations will continue,” he said.

In goodwill messages, traditional rulers commended the state government for its commitment to improving residents’ health.

They included the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Yahaya Alebiosu, and the Ohoro of Shao, Dr Johnson Atolagbe Obalowu.

The traditional rulers pledged continued support for government health initiatives through public enlightenment and community engagement.

They particularly emphasised sustained efforts to prevent teenage pregnancy. 

(NAN)