The Government of Canada, through UNICEF, has donated a 15 million Canadian dollar grant to support maternal, adolescent, and child health in three northern Nigerian states of Kaduna, Kebbi and Bauchi.
The announcement was made by Dr Fatima Cheshi, a Health Specialist at UNICEF Nigeria, during a two-day state engagement meeting held in Kaduna.
According to Dr Cheshi, the funding seeks to strengthen the capacity of government institutions, at both state and local government levels, to provide better healthcare services, for women of childbearing age, adolescents and children under five.
She added that the support aligns with the federal government’s sector-wide approach, to improve health outcomes, particularly focusing on adolescent girls, and their access to sexual and reproductive health services.
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The Permanent Secretary of the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, Dr Aisha Abubakar, acknowledged the grant as timely, noting that the state continues to grapple with high rates of maternal mortality, which are considered unacceptable.
She said that the fund will help address the needs of vulnerable populations, as well as enhance the capacity of the healthcare workforce, across the state.
The initiative targets Kaduna, Kebbi and Bauchi States, where health indices related to maternal, adolescent and child health, remain significantly high.
(Editor : Ena Agbanoma)
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