UK agency admits 268 girls from Katsina to read health courses

United Kingdom’s Department for International Development has secured admission into various Health Training Institutions for 268 girls in Katsina under the Women for Health Programme.

Chairman, W4H Working Group in Katsina, Mr. Suleiman Abdullahi Saulawa, disclosed this on Thursday in Katsina at the presentation of support to beneficiaries, saying the gesture was part of efforts to reduce infant and maternal mortality.

He also said the programme was designed to reduce shortage of female health workers in rural areas of Northern Nigeria as a whole.

“It is a five-year programme being implemented in Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe and Zamfara states, which started in 2013.

“It will assist to reduce infant and maternal mortality, which is prevalent in the region.

“As part of backstopping arrangement, the W4H agreed to provide another technical support to the working group for another two years, from 2017-2019, as part of process of its gradual disengagement,” he said.

He said the programme was established specifically to assist rural girls to acquire admission into Health Training Institutions to study health-related courses.

“268 girls were admitted into various Health Training Institutions, 107 so far graduated from the institutions.

“52 have so far been employed by Katsina state government, while the remaining 48 are awaiting employment,” he said.

The National Programme Manager, Dr Fatima Lamishi, said the programme recruited young women from rural areas and helped them to get professional training and return to their communities as qualified health workers.

She said that would assist to reduce infant and maternal mortality in Northern parts of the country.

In his remarks, Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State said the state government would continue to support the programme.

He said that the graduands should be ready to accept rural postings to save lives of mothers and children.

(NAN)