BaSAM Partners NYSC MNCH CDS Group 

BY KALMANA AFSA, BAUCHI – The Bauchi State Accountability Mechanism for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (BaSAM) has concluded plans to partner with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) towards establishing an MNCH CDS group to further contribute in mitigating maternal mortality and child morbidity in the state.

The Co-chairman of BaSAM, Mr. Abu John Yusuf announced this during an advocacy visit to the Bauchi State Coordinator of NYSC, Alhaji Namadi Abubakar in his office.

Yusuf informed the Coordinator that MNCH issues should not be left in the hands of the healthcare providers alone, but should be a collective and personal responsibility.

According to Yusuf; “MNCH challenges can be liken to a situation where a plane crashes killing the entire passengers on board, at intervals of three days and no one is reacting to such tragedies.

“Such scenarios is synonymous to maternal mortality and child morbidity that is being recorded in our communities.

“Because Corps members are serving in all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, they represent a veritable tool for creating the much needed awareness on the need to access healthcare services especially at the grassroots,” he said.

Yusuf expressed the hope of establishing BaSAM and also scaling up the proposed MNCH CDS group initiative nationwide.

Responding, the Bauchi State Coordinator of NYSC, Alhaji Namadi Abubakar said that any initiative that would positively impact on the community is always welcome and advised the delegation on the right channel to follow towards establishing the MNCH CDS group.

Abubakar, who sounded excited on the prospects of the proposed MNCH CDS group, said the initiative in as an opportunity to contribute in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Nigerians.

BaSAM is a coalition that uses evidence to advocate on improved MNCH services, whose membership are drawn from relevant government MDAs, CSOs and the media.