By Jamilu Abubakar
The Gombe State Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, have stepped up efforts to reduce preventable deaths among newborns with the training of 104 frontline health workers across the state.
The two-day capacity-building programme in Gombe trained 48 doctors, nurses and midwives from secondary healthcare facilities, following an earlier training for 56 health workers from primary healthcare centres.
Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Abdulrahman Shuaibu, said strengthening the skills of health workers was critical to improving newborn survival, particularly as many babies requiring specialised care are referred from communities and primary healthcare facilities to secondary health institutions.
Dr Shuaibu expressed concern over neonatal and infant mortality in the state and said addressing the challenge requires sustained collaboration among government, healthcare professionals and development partners. He urged the participants to share the knowledge acquired with colleagues at their respective facilities.
UNICEF Health Officer at the Bauchi Field Office, Mr Oluseyi Olosunde, said the training, organised as part of activities marking the 2026 World Prematurity Day, was designed to improve the quality of care for newborns, particularly premature babies and those requiring specialised attention.
Mr Olosunde said UNICEF was strengthening the capacity of doctors, nurses and midwives involved in pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care to improve the survival of mothers and babies. He described the high rate of newborn deaths in many northern states as a major concern requiring greater attention.
A Consultant Paediatrician at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, Dr Raymond Mercy, said Nigeria records between 34 and 41 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births, stressing the need for healthcare workers to provide timely and appropriate care for newborns.
Dr Mercy said Nigeria has the world’s second-highest burden of neonatal mortality and called for stronger newborn healthcare services and continuous training of health personnel to reverse the trend.
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