Nigeria: Taking Ownership - Women in Jigawa Community Fund Emergency Transportation for Pregnant Women
[Nigeria Health Watch] "My husband and I have always known that I would deliver at the hospital," says Azeema Hussaini, 25, while sitting on a bed in a muddy two-room house, nursing her three-week-old daughter, Maisara, whom she gave birth to at the General Hospital Jahun, Jigawa State. The mother of three had her previous deliveries at the same hospital. Three years ago, when she had her second…
In the town of Bordo, located in Tauro Local Government Area of Jigawa State, women have faced numerous challenges when it comes to delivering their babies at hospitals. For three years, pregnant women had to travel long distances in wheelbarrows or motorbikes, often through muddy roads, to reach the hospital. The situation worsened when the only vehicle for this purpose was damaged in an accident in 2016.
In an effort to address the issue, the women of Bordo, along with their traditional leader and Imam, decided to take matters into their own hands. In August 2019, they agreed to contribute funds to purchase a new vehicle. Despite the economic difficulties faced by the community, they managed to raise a total of one million naira ($2,200) by the end of November 2019.
The funds were used to buy a new vehicle, which was put into use in December 2019. Since then, more than 280 women from Bordo and five surrounding settlements have been transported safely to Jahun General Hospital for their deliveries, thanks to the new vehicle. This has significantly reduced the number of lives lost and complications faced by pregnant women and their children during the journey to the hospital.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
