Nigeria’s population continues to increase rapidly with no commensurate development in health care service delivery. With a current estimated population of 186 million and an annual growth rate of about 2.5%, Nigeria’s huge population, fuelled by high birth rate without good family planning, can be a huge burden with resultant poor health indices such as high maternal and infant deaths. Nigeria’s maternal and child deaths is one of the highest in the world.

To reduce maternal and child mortality in Nigeria, there is need for national commitment and investment towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by building universal, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services at primary health care level.
 

Himma Community Health Circle Initiative (H-COHEIC), an NGO, said on Tuesday it had rolled out a special medical care programme for Almajiri schools in Zamfara State.

Dr Nuradeen Abubakar, the state Programmme Officer of the NGO, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau.

Abubakar said that the programme, an initiative of the daughter of Zamfara State governor, Hajiya Zainab Abdulaziz,  was mainly targeted at addressing the health challenges of vulnerable children such as the Almajiri.

The daughter of the Zamfara state governor, Hajiya Zainab Yari, has drawn up an education programme towards checking forceful marriage through her Non-Governmental Organization, “Himma Community Health Circle Initiative (H. Coheic).
 
This was disclosed by the NGO’s Public Relations Officer, Eunice Bosua at a press conference in Gusau on Saturday.