Kano Has 17 Percent Of Maternal Mortality In Nigeria — Rights Group

Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has raised alarm over the increased rate of maternal and child mortality in Kano State.

Executive Director Resource Centre, Dr Ibrahim Zikirullahi on Friday said the state represents 17 per cent of maternal deaths in the country despite the yearly budgetary allocations to the health sector.

He attributed the rise to several factors, including the people’s religious and cultural practices, poverty and misplaced priority in spending of funds allocated to the health sector.

He revealed that over 80 to 90 per cent of budgetary allocation to primary healthcare are used in recurrent expenditure, at the expense of capital projects which consequently left most of the primary healthcare centres in terrible conditions.

He said, “According to global indices, Nigeria represents about 10 per cent of the world maternal and child death and within Nigeria Kano represents about 17 per cent and that is huge.

“Although there are many factors apart from the fact that it is the largest population in Nigeria with 44 local governments, it also shows that there other factors that are militating, for example, the way people interpret religion is one aspect of it.

“There is also a lot of poverty. When you go too hard to reach areas you can find that you can walk several kilometres without even primary school or primary healthcare centre that is why we are not surprised about all those figures.

“However, because of the dire figures emanating from the state many development partners are interested in partnering with Kano, and the only thing they need is a commitment that is the kind of commitment the Assembly is showing.

“And by the time this bill is passed you will see the quantum of support that is coming from the international community because they will want to see where their money is going; is not just about putting money” he added.

 Zikirullahi expressed hope that the proposed Kano State free maternal and child healthcare bill if passed into law is going to help in opening up opportunities for the state to address the issue of high maternal and child death.

The organization in collaboration with Misereor Germany has convened a 2-day legislative retreat to engage the members of the state house of assembly on the necessity of the law to provide a comprehensive solution to the menace of maternal and child mortality in the state.