Jigawa State Government has inaugurated a 23-Member technical committee on safe motherhood initiative demand aimed at reviving and strengthening the programme in the state.
The Secretary to the State Government, Malam Bala Ibrahim, while inaugurating the committee in his office, stated that its terms of reference were to undertake a technical review of the implementation of the safe motherhood initiative, develop an implementation framework for strengthening quality facility and community-based nutrition counseling for caregivers to foster behavioral change and attitude improvement.
He said others also include to undertake situational analysis of Safe Motherhood initiative demand emergency transport vehicles and develop ways for strengthening referrals and linkages between communities and health facilities among others.
Malam Bala Ibrahim explained that the safe motherhood initiative programme was first introduced in the 2006 courtesy of a DFID development support programme called PATHS.
He stated that most significant feature of the safe Motherhood initiative demand was the Emergency Transport Scheme with a fleet of ‘Haihuwa Lafiya’ vehicles for transporting pregnant women with obstructed labour to the nearest competent health facilities for emergency care.
The SSG said with the coming Governor Umar Namadi’s administration, Government saw the need for the revival and strengthening of the safe Motherhood programme to continue addressing the issue of maternal and infant mortalities along with Vesico Vaginal Fistula VVF and child nutrition issues.
Malam Bala Ibrahim pointed out that all members of the committee have been selected and appointed into the committee based on their experience and known commitment to the cause of saving lives of mothers and their childrens.
“I therefore urge you to deploy all your skills to this assignment so as to justify the confidence reposed in you by the government, I congratulate you on your appointment as members of the SMI-D technical committee”
Responding on behalf of the Committee members, the Chairperson of the Committee who is also the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development,Barrister Hauwa Zakari expressed delight for the appointment and pledged to give their best and justify the confidence reposed in them.
COV/USMAN MZ