By Mustapha Salisu
Kano State is intensifying efforts to sustain gains of “Accelerating the Expanded Adoption of RMNCH Innovations and Health Reforms (AEARI)” Project after health authorities announced plans to reduce maternal deaths by an additional 25 to 30 per cent over the next 18 months.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, disclosed the target on Tuesday at the Kano State AEARI Project Learning and Dissemination Meeting, held at Tahir Guest Palace, where stakeholders reviewed the project’s achievements and discussed strategies for maintaining its impact beyond its implementation period.
According to the commissioner, Kano state has already recorded significant progress, with maternal deaths falling from 1,026 to 570 through coordinated interventions introduced over the last two and a half years.
Dr. Yusuf explained that the project strengthened the skills of frontline healthcare workers in managing pregnancy, childbirth and post-delivery complications through continuous training and mentorship. He added that community awareness campaigns also played a critical role by encouraging more women to seek skilled care during childbirth.
The commissioner said innovations such as the E-MOTIVE approach and the use of calibrated drapes for early detection and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage have now been integrated into healthcare facilities across the state, describing the interventions as key contributors to the improvement in maternal health outcomes.
He also revealed that Kano has begun sharing its experiences with other states through the Nigeria Commissioners of Health Forum’s peer-learning platform to support wider adoption of effective maternal healthcare practices.
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Speaking at the meeting, the Chief Executive Officer of WCA Health, Dr. Ufuoma Festus Omo-Obi, said the project demonstrated that evidence-based interventions could significantly reduce maternal deaths when implemented effectively at the primary healthcare level.
He noted that the initiative focused on 18 high-burden local government areas, where more than 500 women experiencing postpartum haemorrhage received timely lifesaving treatment, while healthcare workers received regular hands-on mentoring to improve emergency obstetric care.
Also speaking, the Director AEARI Project, Dr. Mukhtar Muhammad shared that the project aimed to address challenges and improve maternal and newborn health (MNH) by scaling innovations along the continuum of care.
He added that some prioritized interventions areas included intrapartum care through the EMOTIVE initiative particularly the postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) bundle of care.
“Within this approach, the programme also prioritized strengthening the supply and appropriate use of essential MNH commodities required for the effective implementation of these interventions”
“Improved referral systems and strengthened quality of healthcare across maternal and newborn health services served as key pathways through which the programme aimed to contribute to reduced facility-level maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality” Dr. Mukhtar hinted.