KanSLAM, Pathfinder Organized Town Hall Meeting on Community-Led Advocacy for MNCH, Child Birth Spacing in Rimin Gado.
By Aishat J. Ahmad
Kano State Led Accountability Mechanism (KanSLAM), with support from Pathfinder International, has organized a stakeholder town hall meeting on Community-Led Advocacy for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) and Child Birth Spacing in Rimin Gado Local Government Area of Kano State.
The town hall meeting was organized under the SASA Project with the aim of building the capacity of key stakeholders on effective advocacy for MNCH and family planning at the community level.
Another major objective of the engagement was to jointly identify prevailing MNCH and family planning challenges in Rimin Gado and to develop SMART advocacy action plans that will lead to practical and measurable solutions.
The meeting also sought to strengthen community–facility collaboration in order to improve access to quality MNCH and family planning services, especially for women and children in rural communities.
Speaking at the meeting, Alhaji Safiyanu Lawal Bichi said maternal mortality in Rimin Gado was the key issue drawing the attention of the SASA Project to the area.
“When you talk about women, you are talking about children, family planning and the future of the community,” he said, stressing the need for urgent action.
In her remarks, the Co-Chair of KanSLAM Knowledge Management Committee, Hajiya Nafisa Murtala Ahmad, said the gathering was aimed at understanding the root causes of maternal deaths in the area.
“We want to know why maternal mortality is high in Rimin Gado and the factors responsible for these deaths,” she stated.
Responding to concerns raised, the Officer-in-Charge of Rimin Gado PHC, Auwal Muhammad Habib, explained that late presentation of pregnant women at health facilities was a major challenge.
“Most women only come to the hospital when labour is complicated and at late hours” he said.
He further disclosed that lack of an ambulance and inadequate human resources were worsening the situation, noting that referrals to higher facilities often fail due to transport challenges.
According to him, some families end up taking patients back home because they cannot afford transportation, leading to preventable maternal deaths despite interventions by Basic Health Care Provision Fund and KACHMA.
Also speaking, the Ward Development Committee (WDC) Chairman of Rimin Gado, Auwal Dan Juma, said the committee was making efforts to address the challenges but admitted that the problems at both community and facility levels were overwhelming.
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In his remarks, Alhaji Auwal Modi Yakasai, Dan Malikin Kano, represented by Adam Auwal Modi Yakasai, said plans were underway to mobilize philanthropists in Rimin Gado to provide an ambulance.
“We will also advocate for more human resources, especially for volunteers currently working in the hospital, to be formally recruited,” he said,
Adding that these steps form part of their next action plan.
Pulse Time Nigeria reports that the town hall meeting was held at the Hakimi’s residence in Rimin Gado and was attended by traditional and religious leaders, Hisbah members, health facility in-charges, nurses, community-based organizations, WDC members and other stakeholders.
The representative of the Dan Malikin Kano commended the SASA Project and appreciated KanSLAM and Pathfinder International for organizing the town hall meeting, describing it as timely and critical to addressing maternal mortality and strengthening MNCH and family planning services in Rimin Gado LGA.