By Ishaq Haruna Hardawa
The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) project has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing maternal and child mortality through enhanced grassroots sensitisation across the Implementing areas.
This formed part of discussions at the quarterly Community Advisory Board (CAB) meeting, where stakeholders reviewed the progress of CHAMPS activities in Bauchi and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas.
Chairman of the Board, Dr. Baba Muhammad Gidado, who is also the Madakin Bauchi and District Head of Ganjuwa, called on members to intensify community engagement to counter negative narratives surrounding child mortality.
Dr Baba Muhammad Gidado disclosed that the Ganjuwa District plans to organise wider stakeholders’ meetings aimed at reaching communities at the grassroots level for effective mobilisation.
He urged CAB members to collaborate closely with CHAMPS officials in identifying and addressing the causes of child mortality across the implementing areas.
The Chairman Community Advisory Board, also appealed to husbands to support their spouses by ensuring they access hospital services during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.
Speaking, the Co-Chairman of the CAB, Alhaji Husaini Othman, who is also the District Head of Miri, reaffirmed the board’s commitment to the success of the project.
In a remark the Bauchi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sani Muhammad Damban, reiterated the government’s readiness to sustain collaboration with CHAMPS to improve health outcomes.
He commended CAB members for their dedication and disclosed that the state government has employed over 3,000 healthcare workers to strengthen service delivery.
In a presentation, the CHAMPS Lead on Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS), Dr. Aisha Zaidu, revealed that 87 cases are been investigated to ascertain the actual cause of their death.
Dr Aisha Zaidu represented by the Lead, Data-to-Action, Dr. Abubakar Musa Sari, added that the project plans to expand MITS activities to General Hospital Bayara or Kafin Madaki
Dr. Zaidu further noted that CHAMPS has adopted a model for retraining primary healthcare workers on maternal and child health to improve service delivery.
Presenting on pregnancy surveillance activities, Abubakar Umar, said findings indicate that more than 65 percent of pregnant women in the implementing LGAs delivered at home during the period under review.
Abubakar Umar who also the Data Lead Pregnancy risk infant surveillance and measurements alliance PRISMA explained that project was designed to improve the existing CHAMPS pregnancy surveillance activities.
He said PRISMA is a global research initiative, focuses on improving the identification, measurement, and understanding of pregnancy-related risks and their impact on infant outcomes.
According to him, the project aims to strengthen evidence on how maternal health conditions, exposures, and care during pregnancy influence birth outcomes, infant growth, and survival.
Umar added that all antenatal care (ANC) services under the project would be provided free of charge, with funding support from George Washington University.
He further disclosed that the PRISMA pilot project is scheduled to commence in May next month in Miri and Birshi wards of Bauchi local Government, with plans for expansion to other CHAMPS implementing areas.
He explained that the initiative would track pregnant women from the first trimester through one year after delivery to ensure early antenatal care and improved maternal and child health outcomes.