By Lizzy Carr
The Bauchi State Government has introduced a new strategy to address the persistent maldistribution of healthcare workers by shifting recruitment to the facility level.
The Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Sani Mohammed Dambam, disclosed this at the Child Health And Mortality Reduction Surveillance (CHAMPS) Community Advisory Board (CAB) third-quarter meeting held in Bauchi.
He explained that under the new policy, recruitment of health personnel will be conducted directly at health facilities, where applications will be received and processed. Successful candidates will be required to serve in the facilities for a minimum of five to ten years before they can be transferred.
According to him, the approach is aimed at bridging manpower gaps, particularly in rural health facilities, while ensuring that only individuals committed to serving their communities are employed.
Dr. Dambam also highlighted the importance of community engagement in improving maternal and child health outcomes. He noted that community and religious leaders, as members of the CAB, play a crucial role in promoting early antenatal care (ANC), hospital delivery, and postnatal visits.
The Chairman of the CAB and District Head of Kafin Madaki, Baba Mohammed Gidado, attributed the high rate of maternal and child mortality to poor antenatal care attendance and the prevalence of home deliveries.
He said some men prevent their wives from accessing antenatal care, hospital delivery, and postnatal services, a situation he noted negatively impacts the health of mothers and children.
The meeting, themed “Community MITS Launch and Improving Pregnancy Surveillance Enrollment,” also reviewed progress in ongoing awareness campaigns and explored ways to strengthen stakeholder collaboration.
In a presentation, Professor Lamaran Dattijo, represented by Data Manager Abubakar Umar, identified early ANC attendance, postnatal visits, and home deliveries as key challenges. He urged CAB members to intensify sensitization on the Pregnancy Risk and Infant Surveillance and Measurement Alliance (PRISMA), a global research initiative focused on improving pregnancy outcomes.
He added that pregnant women who enroll for antenatal care within the first trimester would benefit from free medical investigations and follow-up care up to one year after delivery.
Meanwhile, officials of the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) project reported that 273 child death notifications were recorded between July 2025 and date, out of which 211 cases were eligible for Minimum Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS), a method used to determine causes of death.
They noted that the cases were reported from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, covering Bauchi and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas, stressing that MITS remains critical in identifying the causes of child mortality.
Members of the CAB reaffirmed their commitment to intensifying community awareness campaigns to encourage pregnant women to attend antenatal care and deliver in health facilities.
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