The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has officially launched the neonatal wing of its Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) Programme in Kano State, marking another milestone in the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen maternal and child healthcare across Nigeria.
According to a statement released on Monday and signed by the Acting Director of Media and Public Relations, Emmanuel Ononokpono, the initiative is designed to widen access to free emergency services for pregnant women and newborns from low-income and vulnerable backgrounds.
The CEmONC programme, first introduced in August 2024, was established to reduce Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate by offering free emergency Caesarean Section and essential neonatal interventions to women who cannot afford life-saving care.
The Director General of NHIA, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, explained that the neonatal programme began its pilot phase in four facilities in Lagos and has now been extended to four hospitals in Kano, including the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH). He noted that “The pilot phase of the neonatal component is already operational in four selected facilities in Lagos, representing the South-West region. Similarly, four hospitals have been identified in Kano, including AKTH, to administer the pilot scheme.”
Represented by the Director of the Informal Sector Department, Dr. Sikiru Salaudeen, Dr. Ohiri revealed that more than 200 facilities nationwide are already delivering maternal care under CEmONC, benefitting over 14,000 women, 40 percent of whom are from Kano State.
He added that the neonatal initiative will cover medical conditions such as neonatal sepsis, jaundice, birth asphyxia, and acute surgical emergencies. For transparency, independent external verifiers have been engaged to monitor the programme.
At the inauguration ceremony, the Chief Medical Director of AKTH, Prof. Abdurrahman Sheshe, represented by Prof. Abdurahman Suwaid, praised NHIA for the life-saving intervention. He revealed that 972 women have already received care at AKTH under the maternal programme, making it the largest pool of beneficiaries nationwide.
In addition to AKTH, the NHIA signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with three other Kano-based facilities: Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Mohammed Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital, and Khalifah Sheikh Isiyaka Rabiu Paediatric Hospital.
The Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, was also present at the ceremony.
okaynews.com reports that this intervention forms part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to reduce healthcare inequities while strengthening maternal and neonatal survival rates across the country.
