By Muyideen Aliyu
The Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KWSPHCDA), in collaboration with UNICEF, has trained 60 frontline health workers comprising doctors, nurses and midwives in Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC).
The participants were drawn from primary health facilities across the state’s 16 local government areas.
The training was designed to strengthen the capacity of health workers to deliver quality emergency obstetric and newborn care, with the ultimate goal of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity across Kwara State.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of KWSPHCDA, Prof. Nusirat Elelu, described the initiative as a crucial opportunity for participants to enhance their clinical knowledge and skills under expert guidance.
She noted that maternal and newborn health remains a priority sector receiving substantial investment from both the state government and development partners.
Prof. Elelu stressed that the significant resources invested in the program must be justified through measurable improvements in healthcare delivery, noting that the practical skills acquired should translate into better health outcomes for mothers and infants.
She also charged the participants to step down the training to colleagues at their respective facilities to maximize its impact across the state.
Earlier, the Director of Primary Health Care Systems, Dr. Michael Oguntoye, highlighted the timeliness of the workshop amid ongoing efforts to drastically reduce maternal and child mortality in Kwara.
He explained that facilitators were carefully selected for their expertise to ensure participants received practical, high-impact training capable of transforming emergency care at the primary level.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the training team, the Lead Facilitator, Prof. Raji Laide of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), emphasized the need to equip primary healthcare providers with essential emergency skills.
Prof. Laide observed that strengthening primary health centres often the first point of contact for patients would reduce unnecessary referrals to tertiary hospitals, ease the burden on higher-level facilities, and significantly lower preventable deaths.
She urged participants to engage actively to make the most of the practical learning sessions.