The Kwara State Government has unveiled Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) Assessment and Improvement Plan of Action, reaffirming its commitment to reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths across the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina El-Imam, disclosed this at the dissemination of the report in Ilorin.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Press Secretary of the state Ministry of Health, Saad Hamdalat on Sunday.
El-Imam said the assessment, conducted between November and December 2025 under the Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (SARAH) initiative, covered 202 public health facilities across all 16 local government areas of the state.
According to her, the assessment provides evidence on the availability, accessibility, functionality, quality and readiness of EmONC services, while identifying critical gaps and providing an actionable roadmap for improvement.
El-Imam further highlighted the state government’s investments in maternal and newborn health, including the renovation and upgrading of health facilities, free Caesarean section services in designated facilities, free delivery kits, recruitment and capacity building for health workers, and expansion of health insurance coverage.
The Commissioner praised Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his sustained investment in the health sector and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing the recommendations of the assessment in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Taoheed Abdullahi, said the report would help the state translate evidence into practical action.
Abdullahi urged stakeholders to focus on identifying solutions, setting priorities and ensuring accountability.
In her goodwill message, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), represented by Ms. Abbigail Msemburi, commended the state government and partners for supporting the assessment, describing it as an important investment in evidence, accountability and saving the lives of women and newborns.
Msemburi urged stakeholders to use the findings to guide planning, budgeting, infrastructure development, human-resource deployment, referral systems and quality improvement.
The assessment was supported under the SARAH initiative, a joint UNFPA-UNICEF programme funded by the European Union, in collaboration with the Kwara State Ministry of Health, Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, WHARC and other partners.
The stakeholders emphasised that the success of the assessment would ultimately depend on translating its recommendations into concrete actions that will ensure timely access to life-saving care for every woman and newborn in Kwara State.
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