The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has drawn attention once again to what it called the “alarming state” of maternal and child health in Kano, urging swift action from both government and communities.
This concern was raised on Thursday, the 4th of September, 2025, in Kano during a training session for citizen monitors on primary healthcare delivery.
The programme was organised by CHRICED with backing from MISEREOR/KZE, Germany.
Representing the Executive Director, Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, board member Hajiya Nafisa Ado said the state of maternal and child mortality in Kano remains deeply troubling.
“With a maternal mortality rate of 576 deaths per 100,000 live births, and neonatal mortality at 59 per 1,000 live births, Kano is far from meeting national and global health benchmarks,” she stated. She further stressed that the numbers reflect painful realities for affected families and communities.
“These numbers are not mere statistics, they represent lives lost, families devastated, and communities left vulnerable,” she said.
According to her, the workshop’s objective was to strengthen the role of citizen monitors in evaluating the enforcement of the Free Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (FMNCH) Law across primary healthcare centres, while also promoting community involvement and accountability in the process.
CHRICED’s Programme and Mobilisation Officer, Hajiya Zuwairah Omar Muhammad, explained that 30 monitors are currently being trained from the three senatorial zones of Kano. She said the monitoring work, which initially covered Gwale and Kumbotso LGAs, has now been extended to nine local government areas.
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“At the end of this exercise, we want to come up with comprehensive data to show the actual state of primary healthcare in Kano State and whether the FMNCH Law are being implemented,” she noted.
She pointed out that the information gathered will guide both government and development partners in identifying critical gaps.
“Our ultimate goal is to see action that reduces maternal deaths in Kano. Every day that we fail, it is as if a plane crash is happening with women and children in this state, and nobody is saying anything,” she cautioned.
The FMNCH Law, which took effect on the 10th of May, 2023, guarantees a range of free services for women and children in Kano.
These include antenatal and delivery care, caesarean sections, treatment for pregnancy-related complications, post-natal services, and healthcare for newborns and children under five.
The law also makes provisions for ambulance services and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, among others.