The National Primary Health Care Development Agency on Tuesday said it will support the Kaduna State government in planning for end-to-end services across the state.

This aims to ensure the success of the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII) in reducing mortality rates in the state.

Nana Sanda-Abubakar, the agency’s director of community health services, disclosed this during a one-day joint event planning meeting for participants from Kaduna State and Mami local government areas.

Ms Sanda-Abubakat disclosed that Kaduna State had been activated for MAMI implementation.

She added that the MAMI project was aimed at reducing maternal mortality by 30 per cent and increasing health facility utilisation by 60 per cent within three years.

“You will recall in the past that the state had been listed for MAMI implementation.

“What we want to do now for the seven local government areas that are responsible for the most maternal deaths is to establish service delivery from the community to our primary health care facilities,” she said.

Ms Sanda-Abubakar added that those with complications would be referred to secondary or tertiary facilities for seamless services.

The director added that the agency would ensure that transport services were available for emergency care.

According to her, during a visit, they will meet with the seven local government areas, officials of the State Universal Education Board, and the Ministry of Health to plan how to support the end-to-end service delivery.

Ms Sanda-Abubakar said that some months back, the agency signed an MOU with the state government and agreed to recruit a number of skilled birth attendants and community health workers to fill the gap in service delivery.

”In addition to the recruitment exercise in the MOU, we agreed that we will provide kits of some essential materials and newborn commodities.

“About 16 of these commodities had been distributed from the national to the state store, and the state government is going to distribute them to the primary health care,” Ms Sanda-Abubakar said.

She added tha the commodities would be distributed to pregnant women at no cost.

In a remark, Habiba Ahmad-Aliyu, the acting director of community health in the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency, said the state was already working in the affected councils for the MAMI, including Kagarko, Zaria, Chikun, Kudan, Kubau, Kauru, and Igabi.

She said the state had recruited health workers, including 146 Midwives, and stated that community-based health workers had been deployed to the affected local government areas.

According to her, these health workers will map out the pregnant women and track them for antenatal care and deliveries.

She added that the agency had also inaugurated teams to work with health secretaries, health fellows, and national and state teams to orient health workers on their duties.

(NAN)