The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Kaduna State Government, has officially launched the implementation of the Global Affairs Canada Initiative, aimed at improving the health and nutrition status of women, adolescents, and children in the state.
Dr. Fatima Cheshi, Health Specialist at UNICEF’s Abuja office, made the announcement during the opening of a two-day engagement meeting in Kaduna on Tuesday.
The initiative is backed by a 15 million Canadian dollars grant from Global Affairs Canada, which is intended to improve maternal and child health in Kaduna, Kebbi, and Bauchi States.
This five-year grant is focused on strengthening both governmental and community systems to deliver essential sexual and reproductive health services. It specifically targets adolescents, women of child-bearing age, and children under five in these states.
Dr. Cheshi emphasized that these states were chosen due to their poor health indices, especially concerning adolescent health, a group that is often neglected in maternal care.
“This initiative seeks to address the neglect of adolescent health, particularly in northern Nigeria, ensuring that adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive health rights are properly attended to both in health facilities and local communities,” Cheshi explained.
The funding will be used to support training and capacity building for health workers, procure essential commodities for maternal, newborn, and child health, collect data, and implement various health interventions at both facility and community levels.
The goal is to improve the overall sexual and reproductive health services provided to adolescents, many of whom are facing early pregnancies and neglect in health care.
Cheshi also pointed out that the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s Sector Wide Approach Programming (SWAP), which focuses on improving maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes.
“Many young girls, particularly in northern Nigeria, are being denied basic services while pregnant because they are considered outside the scope of the services offered,” Cheshi noted.
“This program will equip health workers in primary healthcare centers to offer services to these adolescent mothers who are often denied care.”
Dr. Aisha Abubakar, Permanent Secretary at the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, highlighted the critical need for such interventions, noting that Nigeria is often described as a “country of the young,” with 46% of the population under 15 years of age.
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She also pointed out that 40 million females are within the reproductive age range of 15 to 49 years. The 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey reported that 19% of girls aged 15 to 19 years were either pregnant or had already given birth at the time of the survey, making adolescent pregnancy a significant public health issue.
Abubakar further explained that adolescent pregnancies, often linked to child marriage, contribute to high morbidity and mortality rates among both mothers and newborns.
These pregnancies are often a direct result of early school dropouts, early sexual activity, high lifetime fertility, and low contraceptive use.
Additionally, adolescent girls from poor rural households face mobility restrictions, social isolation, and limited income opportunities, making it more difficult for them to transition to secondary school compared to their male peers.
Highlighting regional disparities, Abubakar noted that Kaduna State recorded a maternal mortality ratio exceeding the national average, with over 800 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to the national average of 512 deaths.
The state also has one of the highest adolescent pregnancy rates, at 29.9%, contributing to negative social impacts like school dropouts and poor employment prospects for young girls.
In response to these challenges, the Kaduna State Government has been working diligently with partners like UNICEF to improve maternal and child health.
The state has implemented measures such as large-scale infrastructural upgrades and capacity-building programs for healthcare workers to provide adolescent and youth-friendly health services.
Additionally, Kaduna State has launched the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative in partnership with UNICEF and the Federal Ministry of Health, aiming to standardize and improve the quality of sexual and reproductive health services across the state.
Dr. Abubakar expressed deep appreciation for the Canadian Government’s grant, which supports maternal and child health in the region, and thanked UNICEF for its ongoing technical assistance in enhancing healthcare delivery across Kaduna.
NAN
