Rotary International District 9127 has launched a maternal and child health project at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Sheritti, in Kabusa, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and gave pregnant women birth kits, health education and support for safe delivery.
The initiative, implemented by Rotary District 9127 in partnership with the Rotary Club of Abuja (The Grandfather), is aimed at improving access to quality maternal healthcare, promoting antenatal care attendance, and increasing child immunisation.
At the inauguration, the district chair, Maternal and Child Health, zonal coordinator, Zone 1, District 9127, Dr Samuel Usman, said the intervention was designed to help expectant mothers survive pregnancy and childbirth while ensuring newborns receive the care needed for a healthy start of life.
According to him, the project includes the distribution of birth kits, sensitisation on antenatal care, promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and awareness on routine childhood immunisation against vaccine-preventable diseases such as tuberculosis, measles, yellow fever, whooping cough and cervical cancer.
“Our mission is to reduce maternal mortality by ensuring women have the support they need for safe deliveries. We are also working to reduce infant mortality because when a mother survives childbirth, the baby has a better chance of surviving and thriving,” Dr Usman said.
Dr Usman noted that Rotary had been supporting the Kabusa health facility over the years, but the district decided to strengthen the intervention after identifying critical gaps in maternal and child healthcare services.
He revealed that within three days, the health Centre had recorded five deliveries despite lacking adequate birthing kits, underscoring the urgent need for support.
“This project is the beginning of a new chapter. We discovered that the facility needed essential delivery materials, and we stepped in because every safe birth counts. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, and this is our first step towards reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths,” he said.
The medical doctor stressed that ignorance remains one of the leading contributors to maternal deaths, urging pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics where health workers can detect complications early.
The District Governor, District 9127 Rotary Year 2026/ 2027, Rotarian Sikiru Adetona Owonikoko reaffirmed Rotary’s commitment to improving maternal and child health, describing it as one of the organisation’s core areas of focus.
Owonikoko said the initiative underscored Rotary’s dedication to ensuring safe motherhood and healthy childhood through community-based interventions.
He commended the Rotary Club of Abuja for organizing the programme under the leadership of its president, with the support of the District Chair for Maternal and Child Health, Dr Usman.
