Child birth spacing (CBS) statistics of Bauchi State revealed that a majority of women of reproductive age (15-49 years) are unable to access CBS information and services resulting in the maternal mortality ratio 1549/100,000 higher than the national average of 576 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
Also, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Bauchi State, Nigeria was 1,732 per 100,000 live births in 2024. This is much higher than the national average of 576 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
The fact is that maternal mortality is a serious problem in Nigeria, where the MMR is among the highest in the world.
Factors that contribute to high maternal mortality rates include poverty, lack of access to healthcare, and socio-cultural factors.
In Bauchi State, many women of reproductive age are unable to access child birth spacing (CBS) information and services.
Some available information about maternal mortality rates in Bauchi State and Nigeria indicated that, in 2020, the maternal mortality rate in Bauchi State was 1,549 per 100,000 live births, which was higher than the national average of 576 per 100,000 live births.
The high maternal mortality rate in Bauchi State is due to a number of factors, including: Lack of access to information and services about child birth spacing; limited access to healthcare facilities, especially emergency obstetric services; poor roads and inadequate transportation in rural areas; early age of sexual debut and teenage pregnancy. The Northern regions of Nigeria, including North Central, North-East and North West, have the highest maternal mortality rates.
In efforts to reduce the indices, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has demonstrated a resolute commitment to improving the lives of children and families in Nigeria. Through strategic partnerships, targeted interventions and collaboration with media professionals, UNICEF has created impactful programmes aimed at ensuring every child has access to essential services and opportunities to thrive.
From antenatal care to postnatal support, UNICEF’s initiatives care to the holistic needs of children and their mothers cannot be overemphasised. Recognising that maternal health is crucial for child development, the organisation advocates for comprehensive care at all stages, from conception through delivery and beyond. Programmes promoting exclusive breastfeeding, family planning, and nutritional support underscore this approach.
Post-delivery, UNICEF’s focus shifts to child development, ensuring access to good nutrition, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, education, and protection from violence and exploitation. These interventions are critical in fostering a supportive environment for children to grow and achieve their full potential.
UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office (BFO) has taken significant strides in amplifying these efforts.
By engaging a cohort of trained journalists, the BFO has effectively raised awareness of child health, maternal welfare, and general well-being. This collaboration has galvanised government and private sector actions, addressing pressing concerns and driving policy changes.
UNICEF’s recognition of the media’s influential power is evident in its partnership with the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME). This collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding in 2024, seeks to harness media platforms to promote and protect children’s rights.
UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Cristian Munduate lauded the partnership, stating, “By joining forces, we are setting a course to transform how children’s rights are reported and addressed in the media, ensuring every child’s rights are respected, protected, and fulfilled.”
The BFO’s community-driven initiatives, such as Mama2Mama and Fathers for Health (F4H), have bolstered grassroots mobilization for healthcare services.
These programmes have significantly improved immunisation coverage, addressing zero-dose challenges and mitigating preventable diseases.
Additionally, UNICEF BFO has provided platforms for children to advocate for their rights directly to policymakers, as seen in engagements with the Bauchi State House of Assembly and the State First Lady, Dr Aisha Bala Mohammed.
These interactions have amplified children’s voices and influenced government interventions.
UNICEF’s 2024 milestones include engaging celebrities like Ali Nuhu and Kate Henshaw to champion immunisation campaigns. This approach has heightened public awareness and encouraged participation in health initiatives.
The organisation’s technical support to the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Board has also facilitated the establishment of sustainable community health structures.
UNICEF BFO’s media dialogues have addressed critical issues, including child nutrition, immunisation, education, and sanitation. These engagements equip journalists with current data and insights, enabling them to craft impactful stories that drive societal and policy changes.
In November 2024, a media dialogue focusing on child mortality in Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba States emphasized the socio-economic and health impacts of the issue, urging collective action from stakeholders.
UNICEF’s construction of a multimillion-naira pressure swing absorption (PSA) medical oxygen plant and a Level 2 newborn care unit at Azare General Hospital, in collaboration with IHS Nigeria and the Government of Canada, exemplifies its commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure.
The dedication of UNICEF BFO and its partners was aptly summarised by Dr Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of the Bauchi Field Office, during the launch of the 2024 MNCH Week in Gombe State: “The main focus of UNICEF is to ensure that children and women live healthy lives, reaching their full potentials in life.”
Through its comprehensive programmes and strategic collaborations, UNICEF continues to lay the foundation for a healthier, brighter future for Nigeria’s children and families and decried the alarming rate of home deliveries in Bauchi State, revealing that a staggering seven out of 10 deliveries in the state take place at home.
According to Rafique, this trend is largely responsible for the high maternal and child mortality rates in the state and expressed concern that despite efforts by stakeholders, maternal mortality, child mortality, and newborn mortality remain high in Bauchi State.
She attributed this to the lack of access to healthcare facilities, with only 30 per cent of deliveries taking place in healthcare facilities stating that, “The risk of a newborn dying is higher at home since there are no healthcare professionals to attend to cases of emergencies.
“Public health studies have shown that having skilled birth attendants and a functional healthcare system is key to improving newborns’ care while reducing under-five mortality.”
She urged the state government to increase its share of primary healthcare to achieve more enhanced healthcare service deliveries.
She also emphasised the need to prioritise birth registration, hygiene, vaccination, health services, schooling, sanitation, safe water, and nutrition.
On his part, the Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Jatau, restated the state government’s commitment to improving the health care system in the state.
Jatau, while highlighting key achievements recorded by the state in primary health care delivery, said the feat was achieved through the collective efforts of all stakeholders through the support of development partners.
“I am happy to see some progress recorded in the 2023 NDHIS Survey where the state has moved from 31 percent to 58 percent in Penta 3 coverage. We were ranked best, second to Adamawa in the country, though, marginal progress was recorded in some of the indicators such as maternal and child health.”
“While in the aspect of nutrition, together we need more commitment and support to improve health services in all levels of care,” he said and urged all stakeholders to work closely during the retreat to devise result-oriented strategies to ensure improvement of the overall health indicators.
Auwal Jatau commended the Federal Government through its various health agencies, the Aliko Dangote and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations, UNICEF, WHO, and other developmental partners for their technical and financial support to the state.
According to Munduate, “There are still thousands of children that are dying, children U-5, despite, the progress in ensuring that they did not die but the most affected are the new borns, this is because they have low births, when they are born, they are premature, so they come with complications, they are born before nine months. So, some have infections because of the complications at birth.”
She stressed that, ”So, there are many factors and these children require immediate attention, and they need specialized oxygen machines. So the newborn unit that we delivered today is to save newborn lives. We also deliver a maternity facility for those mother who have complications at birth. So they can also be attended to. And this comes along with the delivery of the oxygen plant and the delivery of the oxygen plant is a joint efforts through a partnership with the government of Canada, IHS Towers, which is a private sector, and UNICEF.”
The UNICEF County Representative added that, “The oxygen plant has the capacity to provide oxygen, not only for the needs of the, Azare community and the entire Local government but also to support the nearby local governments, it has a high capacity. So we hope that this brings better health conditions to thousands of children who might have problems of respiratory diseases, pneumonia, but also for adults, because the oxygen is for everybody.”
“So, we make a call to the people of the LG and the Bauchi State, please make sure that, and all the authorities, especially the health authorities to make sure that these high technology equipment and the health and oxygen plant is well maintained. So it has a long-lasting life that can save the life of many,” she added.
Munduate stressed that, “The concept of this option is that we are having enough oxygen for the patient and for the babies. And that is why the universe is putting more impact on each other. They will reduce both mortality and morbidity of children. And so this Commission of this PSA plant in Azare is adding value to the state.
“Women can easily access it, the teaching hospital and the FMC Federal Medical Centers can easily Get oxygen for their use compared to what they used to get. But the only thing we need now is cooperation. Good maintenance and sustainability.”
Munduate also warned against selling Ready-To-Use therapeutic Food (RUTF), saying that it is felony stressing that RUTF are specially prepared for children, particularly children undergoing treatment for malnutrition, stressing that selling RUTF is killing a child.
According to her, “The RUTF are medical Therapeutic Foods are only good for children.I heard that some people are selling them, but I must warn that if adults take these food they may be affected. I heard, I don’t know whether it is true that some people believe that if they eat it, they become strong or fertile, I want to say that that is not true, they may even lose these capacities, because it is for children and not for adults”
She stressed that, “Everybody needs to speak up whenever they see that the RUTFs are being misused, they should just report. This is a felony, it is a crime and you must know that whenever you sell RUTF, you are killing a child ‘
On the issue of Malnutrition in the state, the UNICEF Country’s Representative said that more than half of the children in the state have problems of chronic malnutrition, particularly in children under the age of five whose brain development has been affected as a result of malnutrition.
Cristian Munduate added that, “Malnourishment children will have problems of learning and intellectual capacity and this is something that has no way to fix.It is important for authorities in the state and the country at large to really do the necessary and take action in reducing chronic malnutrition”
She added that, “The second issue is the number of severe Acute malnutrition at the LGA level, these are children under one year of age and they are about to die because they are very sick.
What I see is that the people in the community at LGA level do not receive the necessary support like Budgets, but they are still trying. Toro LGA for example is Open defecation Free, but this is done by the efforts of the local authorities and the community, this success is theirs””
The UNICEF Head added that, “We really want authorities at different levels to come in and help the different LGAs in Bauchi Right now, we have seen many of the wards in Toro LGA that have a food system that is working. This has helped in the prevention of malnutrition in children and women that are pregnant as well as given prosperity to the community”
“What UNICEF needs is more commitment from government at all levels, UNICEF is only providing support, but we cannot reach everybody. The Nutrition fund needs to be signed in the state so that it can be of benefit to thousands of children. We heard the governor has shown commitment to the fund which means that if the government puts one naira, UNICEF will put one Naira,” she said.
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