Stephen Enoch
The Resource Center for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has urged the Kano State Government to implement the 2023 Free Maternal and Child Healthcare (MNCH) Law to provide access to quality healthcare services to women and Children.
CHRICED called on Wednesday during a Media and Civil Society Organizations training aimed at promoting awareness and action to ensure the law benefits women and children in the state.
The Free MNCH law aims to substantially reduce maternal and child mortality by providing a legal framework that guarantees access to quality healthcare services.
It seeks to ensure safe motherhood, reproductive healthcare, and a comprehensive maternal and child healthcare system for women and children in Kano.
The law also promotes accountability from healthcare providers and the government, ensuring the necessary resources are available and effectively used.
Dr. Ibrahim Zikirullahi, the Executive Director of CHRICED, emphasized that putting the law into full effect is critical for reducing maternal and child mortality in Kano.
He said: “CHRICED has already initiated conversations with various government agencies, pushing for a concrete action plan to make the law a reality.
“We are committed to working with the media, civil society organizations (CSOs), and government agencies to develop a comprehensive draft plan for implementing the Free MNCH law.
“The role of the media of the media is to provide critical reportage on the state’s healthcare system and hold the government accountable.
“Healthcare is not a privilege that citizens should beg for, but a right that must be provided. The media’s role in bringing attention to this law is crucial in driving change.”
Zikirullahi also called on CSOs to engage communities at the grassroots level, ensuring community members know their rights under the Free MNCH law.
“Educating women and families about their rights will empower them to demand better healthcare services and push the government to act,” he noted.
CHRICED’s Program Officer, Zuwaira Omar, echoed Zikirullahi’s concerns, describing the preventable deaths of mothers and children as tragic.
“It’s heartbreaking to witness women losing their children due to causes that could have been easily addressed with adequate manpower and equipment,” she said.
Omar stressed that if the MNCH law had been effectively enforced, the mortality rate in Kano would have significantly decreased. “This is a wake-up call for the government to fulfill its promises and deliver good healthcare to the people.”
Dr. Rukayya Aliyu, a lecturer at Bayero University Kano (BUK), was a facilitator at the event and encouraged journalists to pursue investigative reporting to uncover the shortcomings in the state’s healthcare sector.
She said: “Journalists must familiarize themselves with the MNCH law and investigate various aspects of healthcare delivery in Kano. Only by exposing the gaps and failings in the system can we drive change.
“By shining a light on the realities faced by women and children in Kano, the government would be compelled to act.
“Journalism has the power to spur action, and the Free MNCH law is a critical tool in ensuring that healthcare becomes a reality, not just a promise, Dr. Aliyu noted.
She said the call to operationalize the Free MNCH law comes at a crucial time, as maternal and child mortality rates in Kano remain alarmingly high, adding that without immediate and effective action, preventable deaths will continue to claim the lives of women and children in the state,” Dr. Aliyu noted.
