The Bauchi State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), has launched a mobile healthcare delivery system using motorcycles to transport health workers and medical supplies to remote communities.
Initiative Funded by Global Affairs Canada
The initiative, funded by Global Affairs Canada, aims to support adolescent reproductive health in the state. A total of 45 motorcycles have been procured and will be distributed across all 20 local government areas to reach disadvantaged communities lacking hospital access.
UNICEF stated that the objective of procuring the motorcycles is to reach areas where children, mothers, and adolescents, especially, cannot access health facilities.
UNICEF's Commitment to Vulnerable Populations
Speaking at the delivery of the motorcycles on Tuesday, UNICEF's Chief of Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, reiterated the organization's commitment to the most vulnerable. She explained, "The most vulnerable are those at the LGAs in very remote areas facing financial barriers and access barriers. If it is not possible for them to reach us, we have to reach them. This transport is being given to all LGAs in Bauchi for reaching those children, mothers, and newborns. Immunisation is the entry point for all zero-dose children."
Dr. Rafique noted that there are thousands of zero-dose children in the state who have never received any vaccine. She lamented that many mothers have never received antenatal care, particularly adolescents. "When the mothers are very young, which is very common in Bauchi, the girls are married at a very early age, which is not good for their health and social development. We need to increase the age of marriage and provide the best health services for those already married so they can give birth to healthy children and survive. Maternal newborn mortality is one of the highest in Nigeria among all West African countries, especially in the Northeast," she added.
State Government's Response
In response, the Commissioner of Health, Sani Dambam, commended UNICEF for its consistent efforts in advancing the welfare of women and children in the state. He expressed the state's readiness to partner with international donors to expand healthcare delivery reach.
