The National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, has taken another step in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system with the launch of the neonatal component of its Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Neonatal Care, CEmONC, programme in Kano State.
The move, unveiled at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, marks a significant milestone in the country’s fight against maternal and newborn mortality, which remain among the highest in the world.
Speaking during the launch, NHIA Director-General, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, noted that the new intervention builds on the successes of the maternal health arm of CEmONC, which is already operational in more than 200 facilities nationwide.
Represented by Dr Sikiru Salaudeen, Director of the Informal Sector Department, Ohiri explained that over 14,000 women have benefitted from maternal services since inception, with Kano State alone accounting for nearly 40 percent of the total.
“This new neonatal component will focus on addressing critical conditions that threaten the survival of newborns, such as birth asphyxia, neonatal sepsis, neonatal jaundice, and acute surgical emergencies.
By expanding our coverage, we hope to reduce preventable deaths and ensure that mothers and their babies receive comprehensive, life-saving care,” Ohiri said.
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To ensure credibility and transparency, NHIA has engaged independent external verifiers to monitor and evaluate the programme’s progress.
The neonatal arm has already been piloted in Lagos across four facilities, representing the South-West region, and Kano will now serve as the northern pilot hub with four designated hospitals: Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital, and Khalifah Shiek Isiyaka Rabiu Paediatric Hospital.
Prof. Abdurahman Suwaid, Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee at AKTH, commended NHIA’s initiative, describing it as a critical step in expanding health care for women and children.
Representing the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Suwaid revealed that AKTH had treated 972 women under the maternal arm of the programme, making it the largest NHIA service provider in the country.
The Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, who witnessed the MoU signing, pledged the state government’s continuous partnership with NHIA.
He stressed that maternal and child health remain top priorities for the state, given Kano’s high population and the health challenges that accompany it.
Nigeria continues to grapple with alarming maternal and neonatal mortality rates. According to the United Nations, the country records an estimated 82,000 maternal deaths and 262,000 neonatal deaths annually.
Many of these deaths are linked to preventable complications such as obstructed labour, excessive bleeding, infections, and delayed access to emergency care.
The CEmONC programme is designed to provide timely, life-saving interventions during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.
It covers essential services including caesarean sections, management of eclampsia, treatment of infections, and now, through the neonatal expansion, conditions threatening newborn survival.
By offering a continuum of care from mothers to infants, the NHIA hopes to break the cycle of avoidable deaths that has long plagued Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Public health analysts note that the success of the programme will depend heavily on funding, hospital infrastructure, and the training of healthcare workers.
They also emphasize the importance of public awareness, as many families in rural areas are unaware of their eligibility to access NHIA-supported services.
Nonetheless, the launch of the neonatal services in Kano has been widely welcomed as a bold step toward achieving Nigeria’s commitments under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals particularly Goal 3, which seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
By bringing together state authorities, healthcare providers, and national regulators, the NHIA’s neonatal initiative signals a coordinated effort to protect the most vulnerable members of society—mothers and their newborns.
NAN
