Jigawa Inaugurates 23-Member Technical C’tee To Revive Safe Motherhood Programme

From Abdullahi Idris, Dutse

Jigawa State Government has inaugurated a twenty three-member Technical Committee on safe motherhood initiative demand with the aimed at reviving and strengthening the programme in the State.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Malam Bala Ibrahim, while inaugurating the committee in his office, stated that its terms of reference were to undertake a technical review of the implementation of the safe motherhood initiative demand, develop implementation frame work for strengthening quality facility and community based nutrition counseling to care givers for behavioral change and attitude and to undertake situational analysis of Safe Motherhood initiative demand emergency transport vehicles and develop ways for strengthening referrals and linkages between communities and health facilities among others.

Malam Bala Ibrahim explained that the safe motherhood initiative programme was first introduced in the 2006 courtesy of a DFID development support programme called PATHS.

He stated that most significant feature of the safe Motherhood initiative demand was the Emergency Transport Scheme with a fleet of ‘Haihuwa Lafiya’ vehicles for transporting pregnant women with obstructed labour to the nearest competent health facilities for emergency care.

The SSG said with the coming of His Excellency Governor Umar Namadi’s administration, Government saw the need for the revival and strengthening of the safe Motherhood programme to continue addressing the issue of maternal and infant mortalities along with Vesico Vaginal Fistula VVF and child nutrition issues.

He said “part of the efforts geared towards reviving and strengthening of the safe motherhood programme is the constitution of the technical committee I am about to inaugurate”.

Malam Bala Ibrahim disclosed that all members of the committee have been selected and appointed into the committee based on their experience and known commitment to the cause of saving lives of mothers and their childrens. ” I therefore urge you to deploy all your skills to this assignment so as to justify the confidence reposed in you by the government, I congratulate you on your appointment as members of the SMI-D technical committee” the SSG said.

Responding on behalf of the Committee members, the Chairperson of the Committee who is also the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development,Barrister Hauwa Zakari expressed delight for the appointment and pledged to give their best and justify the confidence reposed in them.

The Technical Committee has Barrister Hauwa Zakari, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development as Chairperson, Hajiya Adama Umar Zandam, Director Women Affairs, member, Malam Mu’azu Yau, Deputy Director Women Affairs, member, Saleh Zakar, Executive Secretary Rehabilitation Board, member, Malam Aminu Baba Waziri, Chief Imam Government Commercial Secondary School, Dutse, member, Dr Yamuna Aminu Kani, Consultant Gynaecologist, member, Hajiya Rabi Ismail, Representative of PWD, member, Hajiya Zainab Salisu Kazaure, Representative of CSO, member, Hajiya Uwani Yunusa, Representative of CSO, member, Muhammad Jarma Hadejia, Representative of CSO, member, Bello Usman Dunari, Chairman NARTO, member, Malam Aisha Malam Madori, Representative of Media, member, Muhammad Saleh Dokaji, Representative of traditional rulers, member, Adamu Shehu, Chairman NURTW, member, Hajiya Furera Baffa, Representative of CSO, member and Muhammad Garba, Representative of CSO, member.

Other members of the Committee include, Malama Rukayyatu Tijjani Badamasi, Representative of Religious Group, member, Basiru Nasoro, Director SDG, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, member, Muhammad Yahaya, Representative of the Ministry for Local Government, member, Asma’u Dahiru Dutse, Deputy Director, Nursing Services, Ministry of Health, member, Dr Abdulkadir Sa’idu Dalladi, Director Family Health, member and Malam Umar Yakubu Kazaure, Director Programme, JICHMA, member while Mustapha Umar Babura, Representative of CSO will serve as Secretary of the Committee.