UNICEF and Borno State Launch Initiative to Reduce Maternal Mortality

Strategic Insights -

The United Nations Children's Fund, in collaboration with the Borno State government, has rolled out an initiative to reduce maternal mortality in the state. The initiative, known as the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative (MAMII), aims to provide essential items for clean and safe childbirth to pregnant women in Borno state. The UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Francis Busiku, announced the launch of the distribution of Mama kits to 13 Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative (MAMII) Priority local government areas of the state.

Key Takeaways:

  • The MAMII initiative aims to reduce maternal mortality in Borno state, with the UNICEF donating 3,700 Mama kits containing essential items for clean and safe childbirth.
  • Francis Busiku emphasized that Borno state has been identified as one of the states in Nigeria that contributes a significant proportion to maternal and Neonatal Mortality, with one woman dying in every 8 minutes during childbirth.
  • The initiative aligns with UNICEF's core mandate of protecting children and women, with Francis calling on stakeholders to join hands in scaling up the MAMII intervention.
  • The initiative aims to improve health infrastructure and equipment, human resources capacity building, provision of medicines, vaccines, and health commodities, support to data quality improvement, and health digitization.
  • Francis highlighted that every safe birth is a victory, every mother saved is a future secured, and every newborn alive is a promise kept.

Statistics:

  • 3,700 Mama kits containing essential items for clean and safe childbirth have been donated by UNICEF to pregnant women in Borno state.
  • One woman dies during childbirth in every 8 minutes in Borno state.
  • The Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative (MAMII) aims to scale up intervention in multiple areas, including health sector, Nutrition, WASH, Education, and Protection.

Sources:

  • UNICEF, Borno State government
  • Francis Busiku, UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office
  • MAMII initiative