By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Kwara Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has inaugurated an Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) Assessment and Improvement Plan of Action.
Speaking at the dissemination meeting on Thursday in Ilorin, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, said the initiative would strengthen maternal and newborn health services across the state.
El-Imam said the assessment was conducted between November and December 2025 under the Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (SARAH) initiative, a joint UNFPA-UNICEF programme funded by the European Union.
According to her, the exercise covered 202 public health facilities across the 16 Local Government Areas and assessed the availability, quality, functionality and readiness of EmONC services.
“This report gives us a clear and actionable roadmap for strengthening our health system and reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths,” she said.
The commissioner listed government interventions to include renovation of health facilities, free Caesarean section services, provision of free delivery kits, recruitment of health workers and expansion of the Kwara State Health Insurance Scheme.
She commended Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for prioritising healthcare and appreciated the EU, UNFPA and UNICEF for their support.
In her goodwill message, Ms Abigail Msemberi, UNFPA Liaison Office, Lagos, said the assessment represented an investment in evidence and accountability.
She urged the state to use the findings to guide planning, budgeting and deployment of health workers and commodities.
Msemberi said timely access to quality emergency obstetric and newborn care could make the difference between life and death, adding that the Fund would continue supporting Kwara to improve EmONC services.
“We must use the evidence from the report to inform planning, budgeting, infrastructure investments, human-resource deployment, commodity security, referral systems and quality improvement,” the representative said.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Abdullahi Taoheed, said the ministry would develop an improvement plan based on the findings and strengthen monitoring and accountability.
He called on stakeholders to work together to implement the recommendations.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru