UNICEF €54m project targets 2.7m children

The United Nations Children’s Fund has begun a €54 million (around N20 billion) project to support primary health care in Bauchi, Kebbi and Adamawa states in efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality. The project, tagged Outcomes, is expected to reach 2.7 million children aged less than five and 850,000 pregnant women each year across […]

The United Nations Children’s Fund has begun a €54 million (around N20 billion) project to support primary health care in Bauchi, Kebbi and Adamawa states in efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality.

The project, tagged Outcomes, is expected to reach 2.7 million children aged less than five and 850,000 pregnant women each year across the three states.

Another 17.2 million people could benefit indirectly from the project, according to UNICEF country representative Mohammed Fall.

The states contribute €1m each in counterpart funds, another €1m is contributed by UNICEF, and the remaining €50m comes as grant from the European Union.

In Bauchi alone, the project targets improved health services to reach 380,000 pregnant women and 1.5 million children aged under five.

It will target one main primary health centre in each of Bauchi’s 323 wards for capacity building, renovation, community engagement and supply of equipment and medicines.

It has handed over some of the purchased supplies to the state government for onward distribution to local government areas and primary health centres.

“These supplies worth €7m will contribute to the optimal functionality of the 323 primary health centres that will be open 24 hours per day, 7 das a week, providing quality services,” said Fall at the handover in Bauchi.

The equipment include delivery beds, midwifery kits, sterilization kits, examination couch, suction machine, resuscitation kit, infusion/drug stand, examination lamp, weighing scale, centrifuge, microscopes, trolleys and suture kits amongst others.