By Laraba Usman
The Gombe State Government, in partnership with the Federal Government and development partners, has begun a five-day Co-Creation Workshop to launch the implementation of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII).
Dr Habu Dahiru, Gombe State Commissioner for Health, in his address during the opening ceremony of the workshop in Gombe yesterday, described MAMII as a vital platform to harmonise efforts across sectors in the fight against maternal and child mortality.
He emphasised the importance of coordinated action, noting that Gombe’s adoption of the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) offers a structured framework for delivering efficient health interventions.
“Every stakeholder has a role to play. While the challenges are multifaceted, our collective action will determine the success of this initiative,” Dr Dahiru said.
He highlighted state investments including the revitalisation of two primary healthcare facilities per Local Government Area and the upgrading of general hospitals in each senatorial zone to specialist status.
Dr Dayo Adeyanju, National Coordinator of MAMII, provided a comprehensive overview of the initiative, revealing that eight Local Government Areas in Gombe are among the 172 high-burden regions nationwide.
He explained that MAMII, a Federal Government initiative, seeks to tackle the root causes of maternal mortality through data-driven and community-specific interventions.
“The goal is clear—saving the lives of pregnant women and their newborns,” Dr Adeyanju stated.
He outlined the five core pillars of MAMII: improving community access to care; removing financial and physical barriers; strengthening emergency obstetric and newborn care services; enhancing data intelligence; and creating enabling environments through community incentives and male involvement.
He stressed the importance of community ownership and advocated for tracking every pregnant woman from conception to delivery to ensure comprehensive care.
“This is not just another programme—it is Nigeria’s national strategy, built on shared ownership and performance-based implementation,” he added, while commending state-led complementary efforts such as SEMSAS and RESMAT.
Dr Suraj Abdulkarim, State SWAp Coordinator, outlined the workshop’s objectives, which include introducing MAMII’s intervention packages, conducting community visits to identify local challenges, and developing context-specific implementation strategies with stakeholder input.
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