Kaduna Health Scorecard Exposes Critical Gaps as Government Promises Stronger Reforms at #OpenKadunaHealthSectorDialogue
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
Kaduna State’s health system is making strides in community participation and service monitoring, but major weaknesses in emergency transport, referral systems, and staffing continue to threaten quality care.
These findings emerged on Thursday during the Open Kaduna Health Sector Policy Dialogue, organized by the Maternal Accountability Mechanism in Kaduna Initiative (KADMAM) with support from Engender Health Partners and the Lafiya Program.
A comprehensive Primary Health Care (PHC) scorecard covering 93 facilities across 16 LGAs showed strong community structures—Ward Development Committees scored 95%, monitoring and reporting 88%, and community engagement 85%.
But the system struggled where it matters most in emergencies: transport infrastructure scored a low 40%, referral and emergency services were critically weak, and human resources averaged just 56%.
Kaduna South (86%), Kaduna North (85%) and Giwa (84%) emerged top performers, while Kudan (62%), Jama’a (64%) and Sanga (65%) were flagged for urgent attention.
KADMAM recommended the recruitment of 1,800 additional health workers, full DHIS2 reporting across all facilities, and provision of at least one functional ambulance per LGA.
The assessment of 12 General Hospitals (GHs) reflected similar disparities: Zaria led with 87.8%, while Kaura trailed at 61.3%, hampered by abandoned buildings and governance challenges.
Although human resources scored an impressive 92%, financing remained the weakest area at 44%, constrained by user fees and delayed reimbursements.
Responding to the findings, Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Umma K. Ahmad, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to maternal, newborn, and child health.
She noted that Kaduna has consistently met the 15% Abuja Declaration benchmark and is investing heavily in renovations, PHC upgrades, staff recruitment, and routine immunization.
“Every policy we enact and every investment we make must translate into healthier mothers, resilient newborns, thriving children, and empowered communities,” she said, stressing that accountability remains the backbone of meaningful reform.
Dr. Balarabe highlighted that every ward in the state now has at least one upgraded PHC—some at Level 2 standard—and assured that recommendations from the dialogue would feed directly into ongoing reforms to improve governance, financing, and service delivery.
KADMAM Co-chair Garba Muhammed said the scorecards offer an evidence-driven roadmap for targeted interventions, ensuring that resources and reforms follow actual data.
“Our goal is to build a health system that is equitable, accountable, people-centred, and strong enough to sustain positive outcomes across generations,” the Deputy Governor added.
