Kwara trains 60 PHC workers on emergency newborn, maternal care
July 29, 2026 10:05 am
File photo: Kwara State Map.
The Kwara State Government has commenced the training of 60 primary healthcare doctors, nurses and midwives in Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care as part of efforts to reduce maternal and newborn deaths across the state.
The Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Press Secretary, Bukola Abdulganiyu, in Ilorin.
It noted that the 10-day training, which commenced on Monday, is being organised in collaboration with UNICEF for health workers drawn from facilities across the state’s 16 local government areas.
Declaring the training open, the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Prof. Nusirat Elelu, described the programme as a strategic intervention designed to strengthen the capacity of frontline health workers to provide quality emergency obstetric and newborn care.
Elelu congratulated the participants on their selection, describing the training as an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and practical skills under the guidance of experienced resource persons.
“This training offers you a unique opportunity to strengthen your knowledge and practical skills in emergency obstetric and newborn care. I encourage every participant to commit fully to all the sessions and make the most of this learning experience,” she said.
The executive secretary noted that maternal and newborn health remained a priority for the Kwara State Government and its development partners, adding that substantial investments had continued to be made in the sector.
“The huge resources committed to this programme must be justified through improved quality of healthcare delivery. The knowledge and practical skills acquired during this training should translate into better outcomes for mothers and newborns across Kwara State,” Elelu added.
She also urged the participants to step down the knowledge gained during the training to other healthcare workers in their respective facilities and local government areas to ensure the impact extends beyond the 60 beneficiaries.
Earlier, the Director of Primary Health Care Systems, Dr. Michael Oguntoye, said the training came at a critical time when efforts were being intensified to drastically reduce maternal and neonatal deaths in the state.
According to Oguntoye, the facilitators were carefully selected based on their competence, experience and expertise to provide participants with practical training capable of transforming emergency obstetric and newborn care at the primary healthcare level.
“The facilitators were carefully selected because of their competence, experience and expertise. We expect participants to receive high-quality practical training that will significantly improve emergency obstetric and newborn care services across our primary healthcare facilities,” he said.
Representatives of UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Population Fund, in separate goodwill messages, reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the Kwara State Government in strengthening primary healthcare service delivery, particularly in the area of maternal and newborn health.
They encouraged participants to take full advantage of the training and apply the knowledge acquired to improve healthcare outcomes in their communities.
Speaking on behalf of the facilitators, the Lead Facilitator, Prof. Raji Laide of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, emphasised the need to equip frontline healthcare workers with the competencies required to effectively manage obstetric and newborn emergencies at the primary healthcare level.
She said strengthening the capacity of healthcare providers at primary healthcare facilities, which serve as the first point of contact for most patients, would reduce avoidable referrals to tertiary hospitals, ease the burden on higher-level facilities and significantly improve maternal and child health outcomes.
“We are committed to delivering an intensive, practical and impactful training programme. I encourage participants to actively participate, ask questions and maximise this 10-day learning opportunity so that the knowledge gained can translate into better healthcare outcomes for mothers and newborns,” Raji said.
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