Sokoto mobilizes 244 ward leaders to combat maternal and child mortality

This initiative was launched during a two-day orientation workshop for Ward Development Committees, supported by the European Union's Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health Programme and the Community Engagement and Accountability initiative. The workshop, held in Sokoto, gathered WDC chairmen, women leaders, and other community stakeholders from the state's 23 local government areas. Dahiru Gada, Director of Advocacy and Social Mobilization for the Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, emphasized that these committees act as a bridge between health authorities and rural communities, educating residents on available health services and the benefits of accessing them.

He stressed the crucial role of community leaders in addressing misconceptions, building trust, and encouraging residents, especially pregnant women, to attend antenatal clinics and deliver in health facilities. The sensitization also covered adolescent health and routine immunization. Gada noted that functional Ward Development Committees have been established in all 244 wards.

Bala Gadanga, Chairman of the Sokoto State Ward Development Committees, stated that the program's success relies on community participation, with participants cascading knowledge and mobilizing residents for house-to-house effort