Experts Seek Stronger Maternal Care as Bauchi Battles Under-5 Mortality
By Ahmed Ahmed
Medical experts and child health stakeholders have cautioned pregnant women against home deliveries, stressing the need to utilise healthcare facilities to reduce the rising rate of under-five mortality in Bauchi State.
The call was made on Thursday during a one-day workshop for community stakeholders organised by the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Project of the College of Medical Sciences, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University.
The workshop, themed “Timely Death Notifications Save Lives: Helping to Track Causes of Under-Five Deaths for Better Child Survival,” brought together healthcare professionals, researchers and community leaders to deliberate on strategies aimed at improving child survival across the state.
Speaking during the event, Dr. Sulaiman Ahmed Musa said a significant number of births in Bauchi State still occur outside recognised health facilities, thereby exposing mothers and newborns to preventable health complications.
According to him, Bauchi records about 125 under-five deaths per 1,000 live births, a figure he described as one of the highest in Nigeria and above the national average.
He identified poverty, poor immunisation coverage, malnutrition and delayed healthcare seeking behaviour as major factors responsible for child deaths, particularly in rural communities where access to skilled healthcare services remains limited.
Musa further explained that pregnancies involving women below the age of 20 and above 40, short birth intervals and low levels of maternal education also contribute significantly to child mortality risks.
Also speaking, Dr. Aisha Musa Zaidu emphasised the importance of mortality surveillance in identifying preventable causes of deaths among children under five years.
On his part, Dr. Faizu Ahmed Saleh explained that Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS), also known as minimally invasive autopsy, involves the use of needle biopsies of organs such as the lungs, liver and brain to determine the exact causes of death.
Earlier, Dr. Jamilu Yaya described the CHAMPS project as a vital child mortality surveillance initiative in Bauchi State funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through Emory University to support life-saving interventions for children.
In his remarks, Community Leader, Alhaji Rabiu Umar called for intensified sensitisation campaigns across communities to enhance public understanding of child health issues and the importance of seeking medical care promptly.