The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has launched the neonatal phase of its emergency maternal and child health programme in Kano, extending life-saving services to some of Nigeria’s most vulnerable families.
The rollout is part of the Federal Government’s Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) programme, which guarantees free Caesarean sections and other critical interventions for disadvantaged women.
14,000 Women Already Reached
NHIA Director General, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri—represented at the Kano unveiling by Dr. Sikiru Salaudeen—said over 200 hospitals nationwide are already delivering the maternal component of the scheme.
“So far, more than 14,000 women have benefitted, with Kano accounting for nearly 40 per cent,” he said.
The neonatal phase, he explained, will address urgent conditions such as birth asphyxia, neonatal sepsis, jaundice, and surgical emergencies.
Independent external verifiers have also been engaged to monitor the programme.
Kano Hospitals Sign On
At the flag-off, the NHIA signed Memoranda of Understanding with four Kano facilities:
- Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH)
- Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital
- Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital
- Khalifah Sheikh Isiyaka Rabiu Paediatric Hospital
AKTH has already treated 972 women under the maternal component, the highest number of NHIA beneficiaries in the country, according to Prof. Abdurahman Suwaid, who represented the hospital’s Chief Medical Director.
Tackling Maternal Deaths
Launched in August 2024, the CEmONC programme aims to reduce maternal mortality and bridge inequalities in access to emergency care.
Kano State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, hailed the initiative as a crucial step toward protecting women and newborns across the state.
With the neonatal phase now underway, officials say the programme is building on early successes to ensure no woman or baby is denied life-saving care because of cost or circumstance.
