By Danjuma Attah, Gombe
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has held a crucial meeting with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) over plans to strengthen maternal and child healthcare in the State.
According to Ismaila UBA Misilli, Director-General, Press Affairs, Government House Gombe, the meeting marked the beginning of a robust partnership aimed at improving maternal and child health.
He stated also that the partnership is expected to help in reducing maternal mortality, enhancing service delivery, and strengthening healthcare institutions to boost human resources for health in Gombe State.
He said, Governor Inuwa Yahaya assured the delegation of his administration’s commitment to collaborating with global organizations to transform the state’s healthcare system.
“The Governor emphasized that maternal and child health remains a top priority for his Government and expressed confidence that the partnership would accelerate progress in reducing preventable deaths and improving healthcare outcomes.
“The Governor later mandated the Deputy Governor, Manassah Daniel Jatau, who is also the Chairman of the Task Force on Primary Health Care; Commissioner of Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru and other relevant MDAs to engage with the delegation and design a robust and sustainable maternal and child health intervention/partnership framework tailored to the state’s specific needs”, Misilli explained further.
Representing the Bloomberg Philanthropies team were Dr. Neena Prasad, Maternal and Reproductive Health Lead, and Samantha Lobis, Senior Advisor on Maternal Health.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation team included Rodio Diallo, Deputy Director for Family Health, Silvia Von Lewis, Deputy Director for Maternal, Newborn, Child Nutrition and Health, and Jennifer A-Boateng, Senior Programme Officer for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health and Nutrition.
This intervention is coming at a time when most of the maternal child health indicators experiencing poor outcomes. However, organisations such as UNICEF and some others have been in the forefront of ensuring that issues of maternal child health and related issues are addressed.
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