The Centre for Communication and Social Impact, through the Faith and Cultural Champions Project, has intensified efforts to reduce maternal and newborn mortality in Kaduna.

The effort is being channelled through community sensitisation on childbirth spacing and maternal, newborn and child health.

The intervention, implemented under the FCC project in partnership with the Ummulkhairi Foundation, targets young married adolescent girls and boys; mothers-in-law; husbands; and traditional and religious leaders.

Speaking during a sensitisation programme in the Karatudu community on Monday, the chairperson of the Ummulkhairi Foundation, Maryam Sani, said the engagement was designed to educate residents about the importance of spacing births and accessing healthcare services.

Ms Sani said the programme was aimed at addressing the rising cases of maternal and newborn deaths associated with poor health practices and inadequate access to healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth.

According to her, women who do not practise childbirth spacing often face severe health challenges, while children born under such conditions may also suffer adverse health outcomes.

Ms Sani noted that complications such as prolonged labour and obstetric conditions, including vesicovaginal fistula, could be reduced through proper spacing of pregnancies and increased hospital deliveries.

“We are encouraging women to visit health facilities and also seeking the support of traditional and religious leaders because they influence decisions affecting women’s health and wellbeing in the community,” she said.

Ms Sani explained that the Karatudu community was selected because of existing structures and prior engagement with residents, adding that previous interactions revealed recurring concerns around maternal and family health issues. She said early outcomes of the intervention had been encouraging, citing strong community participation and positive feedback from local leaders.

According to her, although the programme initially targeted about 80 beneficiaries comprising men and women, turnout exceeded expectations.

Zainab Muhammad-Idris, a member of the FCC advisory team, said the initiative seeks to reduce maternal and newborn deaths to the bare minimum through awareness-raising on childbirth spacing.

Ms Muhammad-Idris commended community leaders for embracing the programme, describing their support as an indication of commitment toward improving family health outcomes.

She said healthier families would contribute to long-term community development and produce responsible future generations.

The village head of Karatudu, Isyaku Adamu, commended the organisers for bringing the initiative to the community.

Mr Adamu said the sensitisation had improved women’s awareness of the need to protect their health and that of their children. He assured that the community would apply lessons from the engagement to improve family planning practices.

Similarly, the woman leader of the Karatudu community, Esther Ayuba, said the awareness campaign would help families facing economic challenges make informed decisions. She pledged to cascade the messages to neighbouring communities to broaden the programme’s impact.

Ms Ayuba also appealed to donors and development partners to provide free childbirth-spacing commodities to expand access to reproductive health services.

A community health worker, Hajara Abubakar, urged community members, especially couples, to embrace childbirth spacing to safeguard family health and reduce economic pressure.

(NAN)