The Kaduna State Government says infant and child mortality rates have reduced in the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Mohammed-Baloni said the neonatal mortality rate will drop from 63 per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 47 per 1,000 live births in 2021.
He made the declaration while addressing the 12th meeting of the Kaduna State Council on Health in Kaduna on Tuesday.
Mohammed-Baloni also said that the infant mortality rate will drop from 187 per 1,000 births in 2018 to 127 per 1,000 births in 2021.
The under-five mortality rate for Kaduna State at 127 per 1,000 births in 2021 is the lowest in the Northwest geopolitical zone, he said.
The commissioner noted that the rate, however, is slightly higher than the national average of 102 per 1,000 births.
“There has been general improvement in most reproductive, maternal and child indicators and Kaduna State is doing better than all the states in the Northwest zone in the under-five mortality rate.
“The percentage of one-year-old children receiving three combined doses of diphtheria, tetanus toxoid and pertussis vaccine (Penta3) in Kaduna State has increased from 26.5 percent in 2017 to 60 percent in 2021.
“Kaduna State is recognized as the best state in the Northwest zone in immunization against diphtheria, tetanus toxoid and pertussis (Penta-3) by 2021,” he said.
The National Bureau of Statistics is conducting the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in 2021 as part of the Global MICS Program where it rates immunization coverage in the states of the federation and the FCT.
The commissioner said council members will approve various strategies to facilitate the achievement of the state’s goal of ensuring that citizens have access to quality and affordable health care without financial disaster.
Mohammed-Baloni also told the meeting that the assessment of the health system in the country showed that there are still concerns about the delivery of services, medicines and vaccines and health financing.
“Inventory assessment and labor productivity assessment all show gaps in availability of modern equipment and productivity of human resources.
“It has guided the development of the sector’s 2022 and 2023 operational and implementation plans and will also guide the development of the third strategic health development plan,” he said.
He noted that the state government created the Health Management Authority to reduce the burden of payment for health services in the state.
“The country has allocated 1 percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to address the vulnerable population and so far, 496,752 residents have been enrolled in the scheme.
“The state has also allocated more than 15 percent of its budget to health since 2017 in line with the 2001 Abuja declaration with an average budget performance of 67 percent over the past six years,” he said.
Mohammed-Baloni called on health sector actors and managers to think critically about re-strategizing, re-programming, re-focusing and re-energising to achieve universal health coverage in the country.
The Kaduna State Board of Health has the responsibility to guide and advise the government on health matters.
It meets annually to review the performance of the sector, identify challenges and provide corrective actions that will ensure the provision of quality health services.
The theme for the 12th meeting is: Health system strengthening: Key to achieving universal health coverage in Kaduna State.