By Sule Aliyu, Bauchi

Wife of the Bauchi State governor, Hajiya Hadiza Abubakar, through her pet project, Bauchi Sustainable Women Economic Empowerment and Peace Initiative (B-SWEEP), has flagged off the second phase of the distribution of delivery kits for 800 pregnant women and nutritional meals for 600 malnourished children under the age of five.

Hajiya Hadiza officially launched the Maternal and Infant Health Intervention programme, yesterday, at the Town Maternity, Ningi, in Ningi Local Government Area of the state.

She said that quality of healthcare intervention was important in reversing the poor health indices recorded in the state, particularly among women and children.

Hajia Abubakar also lamented that ignorance and financial stress had seriously compromised the health system, saying that various misconceptions and fears have led to a decline of utilisation of health facilities by mothers and new-born, contributing to reduction in skilled birth attendance rate.

The BSWEEP founder decried that sub-Sahara Africa currently has the worst record of maternal and infant deaths in the world, accounting for more than 250,000 deaths annually.

She said that that her pet project has further widen the scope of intervention in the second phase and the selected three local government areas of Ningi, Toro and Katagum which were selected from each of the senatorial zone in the state.

She said: “Last year, during the same period, B-SWEEP under it maternal and child healthcare delivery objective, launched a similar intervention at Alkaleri local government where Nabayi and Tsaffi communities where selected from each of the three senatorial zones in the state.

“600 pregnant mothers and 1,000 malnourished children from these communities benefited from the programme and a total of 300 treated mosquito nets were distributed to encourage them to attend antenatal clinics”

The governor’s wife said that the nutritional packs were prepared under hygienic and standard specification, using millet, soya beans and groundnuts to provide nutrients for malnourished children.

She added that each beneficiary would be given three kilogramme of fortified nutritional meal and one kilogramme of soya milk.

She said that each delivery kit contains surgical blades, sanitary pads, treated mosquito nets, multivitamin capsules, surgical gloves, bleach, baby towel, bathing soap amongst others.

Abubakar, who is also the Founder of Bauchi Sustainable Women Economic Empowerment and Peace Initiative, B-SWEEP, said ignorance and financial stress had compromised the health system.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the host and Emir of Ningi, Alhaji Yunusa Mohammed Danyaya, who was represented by the District head of Burra, Yau’Shehu Abubakar, commended the governor’s wife for the intervention that her project had provided in boosting the health of women and children in the state.

Danyaya also noted that BSWEEP has been excellent in empowering women in rural areas in the areas of agriculture and skills acquisitions saying its efforts were wort emulating.

In his good will message, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry of health, Dr Saidu Alliyu Gital, said that the steps being taken by BSWEEP in augmenting the administration’s effort in enhancing the well-being of pregnant mothers and children were contributing to reducing maternal and child mortality.

“It may interest you to know that the north east has the worst maternal and child health indices in the country and an effort to intervene in this regard always welcome.

The gesture is an initiative of   the Bauchi First Lady, further justifies the honour conferred on her by the Ministry of Health Bauchi State as “Bauchi State Maternal and Child Health Champion”, and the Ministry therefore appreciates this gesture more than any other organisation and is willing to work with BSWEEP to maximise the benefit of this intervention,” he said.