A groundbreaking study led by Professor Hadiza Galadanci and her team at the Kano State Surveillance for Evidence and Policy (KASSEP) has unveiled key insights into the factors driving maternal and child mortality in Kano State. The findings, presented during a technical meeting on January 13, 2025, at the ACEPHAP Conference Room, highlight actionable steps to address these pressing healthcare challenges.
Speaking at the event, Professor Galadanci emphasized the urgent need to implement research-based strategies to break the cycle of maternal and child mortality in the region. She noted that Kano State faces significant healthcare issues, including limited access to services, particularly in rural areas, and high mortality rates among mothers and children.
Overview of the KASSEP Project
Professor Galadanci explained that the study sought to address the interplay of social, cultural, and systemic challenges contributing to maternal and child deaths. She emphasized that these factors are often poorly understood, hindering the design and implementation of effective interventions.
The study adopted a mixed-methods approach, establishing a Sample Registration System (SRS) known as KASSEP. Representative clusters were selected across senatorial districts and both urban and rural areas to ensure comprehensive data collection. The research combined retrospective analysis (covering maternal deaths and stillbirths in the year prior to the study) with prospective tracking over a two-year period, utilizing the 2022 World Health Organization Verbal Autopsy Instrument.
The project aimed to identify the causes and contextual factors of maternal deaths and stillbirths while providing evidence-based recommendations for policy and program interventions. Professor Galadanci highlighted the potential for these findings to accelerate the implementation of proven, cost-effective solutions to reduce preventable deaths. These include improving maternal and neonatal care, enhancing women’s agency, and addressing structural barriers to healthcare access.
Government and Stakeholder Support
Dr. Fatima Mahmoud, KASSEP Project Coordinator, outlined the objectives of the technical meeting, which included reviewing progress, addressing challenges, and planning future activities. She also discussed leveraging traditional community structures to establish a sustainable surveillance and tracking system for maternal and child health indicators. Additionally, the meeting explored how KASSEP data could support maternal and child nutrition initiatives, offering opportunities for integration to improve health outcomes.
Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, commended the KASSEP team for their dedication. He assured attendees that the state government would establish a technical committee to review the findings and implement the recommendations. As evidence of its commitment to healthcare, Dr. Yusuf noted that Kano State recently contributed 500 million naira in counterpart funding to UNICEF.
Calls for Nutrition Integration
Professor Hafiz Abubakar, Chairman of the Governing Council of North West University and a former Deputy Governor of Kano State, praised the KASSEP initiative. He urged the integration of nutrition into the research, stressing its importance for child development. He explained that poor nutrition in early childhood, particularly by age two, could lead to lifelong consequences, if the child survives the immediate impacts.
Other speakers included Dr. Iman Warshu, who discussed leveraging community leadership for sustainable health outcomes; Malam Abdulrahman Ibrahim, who introduced the project’s data visualization platform; Professor Baba Maiyaki Musa, who spoke on using KASSEP data for nutritional surveillance; and Professor Salisu Maiwada Abubakar, who represented the nutrition data team.
The meeting concluded with optimism that the KASSEP findings will drive significant progress in reducing maternal and child mortality in Kano State. Stakeholders expressed hope that the state government would swiftly act on the recommendations to improve healthcare outcomes.