Jigawa Moves to Domesticates National Policy on MPCDSR
From Mika’il, Tsoho, Dutse
The Jigawa State government, in collaboration with CASCADE Nigeria, has taken steps to domesticate the National Maternal Perinatal Child Death Surveillance and Response (MPCDSR) and Quality of Care Guidelines and Tools.
During the opening of a three-day workshop organized for healthcare delivery stakeholders in the state, Dr. Zubairu Usman, the Jigawa State desk officer of the Maternal Perinatal Child Death Surveillance and Response (MPCDSR) committee in the state’s Ministry of Health, emphasized the project’s goal.
He stated that Nigeria is leading in maternal and child deaths globally, a trend reflected in every state across the country.
Dr. Zubairu Usman outlined that the Jigawa State government is now focused on implementing sustainable measures to significantly reduce these alarming statistics at the community, facility, local government, and tertiary levels within the state.
He stressed the need for alignment with federal guidelines while ensuring the policies and procedures resonate with Jigawa’s norms, culture, and traditions to effectively address maternal mortality rates.
Acknowledging regional variations in healthcare needs, he highlighted the importance of tailoring strategies to the unique requirements of different regions within the state.
This approach aims to ensure that the guidelines are appropriately implemented in various communities.
Underlining the gravity of the situation, Dr. Zubairu shared that the National Demographics Health Survey (NDHS) 2022 reported 714 maternal deaths per 100,000 women in the state. Through the state government’s commitment and effective interventions, the mortality rate reduced to 512 per 100,000 women in 2023.
He revealed that Jigawa State’s fertility rate stood at 9.4 percent as of 2023, exceeding the national average of 5.3 percent. The percentage of births delivered in the country is 35.5%, contrasting with Jigawa State’s 48% rate.
Noting the vital role of CASCADE Nigeria in supporting the state government, Dr. Zubairu emphasized the importance of domesticating the national documents for policy implementation in Jigawa. The organization is actively involved in four states – Bauchi, Jigawa, Kebbi, and Nasarawa – operating in five local government areas in each state.
He identified the specific local government areas within Jigawa State where CASCADE Nigeria is working, including Dutse, Kiyawa, Jahun, and Kirikassama.
