Sokoto mobilises community leaders to combat maternal, child mortality

Sokoto State government has intensified efforts to tackle maternal and child mortality by mobilising community leaders across the state’s 244 wards to promote healthcare awareness and improve access to essential health services.

The move was highlighted during a one-day orientation and sensitisation workshop organised by the Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (SSPHCDA) for members of Ward Development Committees (WDCs) under the European Union-supported Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (SARAH) programme and the Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) initiative.

The workshop brought together WDCs chairmen, women leaders and other community stakeholders from the 23 local government areas of the state to strengthen grassroots participation in healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes for women, children and adolescents.

Director of Advocacy and Social Mobilisation of SSPHCDA, Dahiru Muhammad Kamaru Gada, said the programme is aimed at equipping community leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to educate residents on available healthcare services and encourage their utilisation.

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He described WDCs as a bridge between healthcare facilities and communities, noting that their involvement is essential in driving awareness on antenatal care, safe childbirth practices and routine immunisation.

Gada added that the initiative seeks to reduce preventable maternal and child deaths by encouraging pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics and deliver under the supervision of trained health professionals.

He said the workshop also focused on adolescent and reproductive health education, as well as immunisation against diseases such as tetanus and diphtheria.

Addressing concerns over insecurity in some rural communities, Gada said the agency was leveraging trusted local structures and community members, who understand the terrain and enjoy the confidence of residents to sustain healthcare outreach efforts.

He disclosed that functional WDCs  exist in all the wards and have continued to play a vital role in promoting healthcare programmes and community development initiatives.

Chairman of the state Ward Development Committees, Bala Gadanga, described the programme as a significant step towards improving healthcare outcomes through community ownership and participation.

Gadanga said committee members will embark on house-to-house sensitisation campaigns to identify children, who had missed immunisation, encourage expectant mothers to seek antenatal care and connect vulnerable persons to available healthcare services.