From Umar Dankano, Adamawa
Efforts to strengthen primary healthcare delivery in Adamawa State have received a major boost as 1,385 health workers benefit from an ongoing capacity-building programme supported by the European Union (EU), the Adamawa State Government, UNICEF and UNFPA.
The intervention, a four-year initiative implemented across Adamawa, Sokoto and Kwara States, is focused on improving maternal and newborn health outcomes through intensive training of healthcare providers and reinforcement of community health structures.
According to health experts, the programme is designed to address key gaps in service delivery, including skilled birth attendance, adolescent-friendly health services, infection prevention and control, and overall quality of maternal healthcare.
Speaking in Yola, the Health Specialist at UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, Mr. OluSeyi Olusunde, said the initiative has already recorded significant progress in strengthening frontline health systems in the state.
He explained that beyond training health workers, the programme is also empowering community structures such as Mama-to-Mama groups and the Fathers for Good Health initiative to improve awareness and encourage timely access to healthcare services at the grassroots.
Olusunde noted that 339 trained nurses and midwives have been deployed across the state, including to hard-to-reach and underserved communities, to ensure pregnant women and children have access to essential antenatal and reproductive health services.
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He added that the intervention is expected to directly benefit about 896,000 children under five years of age in Adamawa State, alongside nearly 280,000 pregnant and lactating women who will receive improved healthcare support over the project period.
According to him, the programme is structured as a long-term and sustainable intervention rather than a short-term response, with a strong focus on reducing maternal and newborn mortality rates across participating states.
Olusende further disclosed that 112 nursing and midwifery students currently undergoing training at the Yola School of Nursing and Midwifery are also being sponsored under the initiative to strengthen the future healthcare workforce.
He emphasized that the combined approach of training, deployment and community engagement is expected to significantly improve health outcomes and expand access to quality reproductive health services in Adamawa State.