USAID, Kebbi Govt partnership averts 1,053 maternal, infant death

The USAID-Integrated Health Programme has supported the Kebbi Government to avert 1,053 maternal and child mortalities within five years of its intervention in the state.

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager of the USAID-IHP in Kebbi, Shehu Salisu Dabai, said this at a two-day media engagement workshop in Yauri Local Government Area of the state on Thursday.

He said,” The USAID-IHP in Kebbi supported facilities to generate 41 per cent of Couple Years of Protection (CYPs) in the state, which resulted in averting about 35,046 unintended pregnancies, 179 maternal deaths and 874 child deaths in the state.”

Dabai added that the state also generated approximately 75,336 CYPs as a result of the provision of modern family planning methods.

According to him, this shows that the state has witnessed tremendous improvement in its health sector, resulting in improved health outcomes since the USAID-IHP intervention began in the state.

“Therefore, the achievement indicates USAID-IHP’s support and commitments, especially in the area of maternal and child mortality, malaria, malnutrition, training and retraining of health workers.

“Overall, the USAID-IHP’s intervention in Kebbi State has had a significant impact on averting maternal and child deaths, improving family planning services and enhancing the overall health sector.”

Salisu-Dabai emphasized the need for the state government to ensure the sustainability of the achievements through improved budgetary allocation to the health sector and enhanced capacity building for health workers.

The manager also charged the media practitioners to be vanguards for improved health service delivery in the state.

(NAN).