Sokoto targets 244 PHCs, launches 75 under safe delivery initiative

The Sokoto State Government has launched the third phase of its Safe Delivery Initiative, inaugurating 75 upgraded Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the state. This effort aims to significantly reduce maternal and infant mortality by ensuring pregnant women have access to quality healthcare within their communities.

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Today, we are launching the third phase of the Safe Delivery Initiative with 75 primary healthcare centres that have successfully met all the national readiness requirements.

With this latest rollout, the number of PHCs meeting national standards for safe delivery services has risen to 92. The state government has set an ambitious target to upgrade all 244 designated facilities to full compliance by the end of December 2026. The upgraded centres now feature skilled birth attendants, essential medicines, modern medical equipment, and reliable water and electricity supplies, adhering to the standards set by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.

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Our target remains to ensure that all the 244 designated facilities become fully functional before the end of this year.

Health Commissioner Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar emphasized that the initiative is funded through improved management of existing health sector resources, rather than new borrowing or taxation. "What has changed is the way we manage the available resources through stronger accountability, facility-specific business plans and transparent monitoring of funds," he stated. The state has also centralized drug procurement and approved a compulsory rural posting policy for midwives to enhance access to skilled birth attendance in underserved areas.

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There is no new tax, no new levy and no new donor liability behind this initiative. What has changed is the way we manage the available resources through stronger accountability, facility-specific business plans and transparent monitoring of funds.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu has approved approximately N132 million as the state's counterpart contribution to the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, supporting health insurance coverage for vulnerable residents. The government assures that remaining facilities will be upgraded in phases, prioritizing areas with the highest maternal and child health burdens, ensuring no facility is declared ready until it truly meets the required standards.

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We are not going to declare any facility ready unless it truly meets the required standards. The remaining facilities are already scheduled for subsequent phases until all 244 become fully compliant.