KADMAM, Partners Push for Greater Accountability in Kaduna Healthcare System

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna 

The Kaduna Maternal Accountability Mechanism (KADMAM), in collaboration with the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH) and EngenderHealth-led consortium partners, has called for stronger multi-stakeholder collaboration, especially with the media to drive improved funding, infrastructure, and accountability for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) and Primary Health Care (PHC) in Kaduna State.

The call was made during a one-day advocacy meeting held on Saturday with civil society organizations (CSOs), media practitioners, and development partners. 

The meeting aimed to strengthen partnerships to promote transparency, equity, and quality service delivery within the state’s healthcare system.

Welcoming participants, Garba Muhammad, Co-Chair of KADMAM, emphasized that the initiative, with support from Evidence for Action (E4A)-MaMaYe, has already made notable strides, including securing free radio and television airtime for women-led CSOs to promote health awareness. 

He also highlighted KADMAM’s success in advocating for the timely release of funds from the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), which has accelerated service delivery at grassroots facilities.

Muhammad, however, noted persistent challenges such as the non-remittance of the government’s counterpart staff health contributions to the Kaduna State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme (KADCHMA). 

He called for urgent intervention from the state government to sustain healthcare gains.

Setting the tone for the meeting, Solomon Dogo, Program Director of ISMPH, stressed the importance of collective effort: 

“Our collaboration is vital in addressing the RMNCAH and PHC agenda and promoting improved health outcomes. Let’s work together to identify actionable solutions and drive meaningful impact,” he said, conveying greetings from ISMPH’s Executive Director, Mrs. Moji Makanjuola (MFR).

In his goodwill message, Isa Gidado, State Team Lead of LISDEL, expressed optimism that the meeting would produce “realistic next steps that can be implemented for the benefit of communities.”

Also speaking, Ayobami Afape, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Program Officer at Pathfinder International, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting advocacy initiatives in Kaduna. 

He disclosed that Pathfinder is championing the RMNCAH Project alongside high-level advocates such as Sheikh Gumi and Hajiya Nafisat, focused on strengthening healthcare systems and ensuring improved access to care.

The meeting emphasized five key priorities: increased healthcare funding, expanded health insurance for vulnerable groups, improved infrastructure, enhanced community participation, and the reduction of health disparities.