By Yunusa Isa, Gombe
In a concerted effort to combat maternal mortality and mitigate the impact of the current economic downturn, the Cares for Less Privilege Foundation has distributed over 50 free antenatal care kits to expectant mothers at the London Maidorawa Primary Healthcare Centre in Gombe.
The initiative is designed to incentivize regular medical check-ups and ensure safer delivery outcomes for women throughout the community.
The foundation’s founder, Alhaji Usman Musa, explained that the mission is driven by a desire to provide a safety net for vulnerable women who might otherwise avoid formal healthcare facilities due to financial strain.
Usman said “We are inspired to support less privileged women to ensure they attend healthcare centers, which ultimately reduces maternal and neonatal mortalities and encourages safe delivery in Gombe State”.
According to Usman, he and a group of associates voluntarily contribute from their personal earnings to procure the kits, which are distributed on a quarterly basis across various healthcare facilities in the state. Each kit contains 11 essential items required for a safe delivery, including gloves, syringes, needles, pads, oxytocin, and iodine.
The London Maidorawa Primary Healthcare Facility Manager, Madam Grace David, lauded the intervention as a vital step toward safeguarding maternal health.
“The kits will go a long way in reducing the women’s expenditure burdens, encourage antenatal visits, and reduce maternal mortalities,” she stated, emphasizing that consistent medical oversight is the cornerstone of a successful pregnancy.
The facility’s Deputy Manager, Hajiya Fati Garba, noted that the financial relief is significant, as the materials typically cost between 3,000 and 5,000 Naira.
“These kits will encourage women to visit healthcare centers since they are being given free of charge,” she added.
Beneficiaries expressed profound relief at the gesture, noting that the support arrived at a critical time amidst rising living costs.
Among them, Maimuna Jafar, Zainab Musa, and Ramatu Lawan shared that the donation provides them with the essential supplies needed to give birth under the supervision of skilled professionals.
“This gesture will reduce our financial burdens during deliveries and allows us to give birth under the watch of professional birth attendants,” they noted.
They further emphasized that without such assistance, many women might resort to home births, a practice they acknowledged as dangerous to both mother and child.
The Cares for Less Privilege Foundation remains active in Gombe State, consistently focusing its humanitarian efforts on supporting the underprivileged across various sectors.