By Danhassan Abubakar
The Bauchi State Government has flagged off the first round of the 2026 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Week, reaffirming its commitment to improving access to quality healthcare for women, children and other vulnerable groups across the state.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held at the Domiciliary Primary Health Care Centre in Bauchi on Monday, the wife of the State Governor, Hajiya Aisha Bala Mohammed, represented by the Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Muhammed Sani Dambam, said the week-long exercise officially marked the official flag-off of the 36th Federal Round of Integrated Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week, alongside Praziquantel medicine distribution for the prevention and treatment of schistosomiasis, as well as the launch of the HPV vaccination digital health communication campaign in Bauchi State.
She said the state government remains committed to strengthening the healthcare system by ensuring equitable access to quality health services, noting that Bauchi has continued to make remarkable progress in routine immunization, protecting children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
According to her, the MNCH Week remains one of the state’s most strategic public health interventions because it delivers multiple essential healthcare services to pregnant women, mothers, newborns and children through a single coordinated platform.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board (BASPHCDB), Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, represented by the Board’s Permanent Secretary, Sama’ila Irmiya, said the exercise is designed to reach children who missed previous immunization rounds while providing essential health services to pregnant women.
He commended development partners and donor agencies for their sustained support, describing their contributions as instrumental to the continued improvement of healthcare delivery in the state.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, UNICEF, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Nutrition International, Alive & Thrive, traditional institutions and other stakeholders.
