Rakiya A Muhammad
10 March 2008
Sokoto — The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III has expressed concern over the high rate of maternal mortality in the country and has stressed the need to check the trend.
He was speaking when the advocacy team of the Development Research and Project Centre (DRPC) paid him a courtesy visit in his palace in Sokoto recently.
The Sultan who blamed the prevailing situation in the northern region of the country on ignorance about the importance of maternal health, charged traditional and religious leaders to intensify campaign on the importance of maternal health to their subjects.
He also urged people to ensure that pregnant women regularly attend hospital, noting that most of the deaths could be avoided by adequate medical attention even as he reminded Muslims that Islam does not discourage anyone from going to hospital for treatment.
The Sultan, who commended some states that provide free medical care for pregnant women in the region, urged other states to emulate such states in that direction.
Earlier in his address, the leader of the team, Malam Lawal Mani Gambarawa, appealed to the Sultan to support and encourage other traditional rulers to contribute towards the improvement of maternal health in the country.
He noted that traditional and religious leaders have vital roles to play in educating members of the society on the need to support the government in its effort to reduce maternal mortality in the country.
Malam Gambarawa also stressed the need for government to increase expenditure on maternal health.
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