Hajiya Aisha Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi, wife of Zamfara State governor, has lamented the high rate of maternal mortality in the state despite efforts by government to stem the trend.

Shinkafi, who said this on Saturday in Gusau at the opening of a one-day workshop for pregnant women, said that inadequacy and inaccessibility of health care facilities had further exposed women, especially those in rural areas to high risk of mortality.

She said that due to the alarming rate of maternal mortality, an NGO initiated by her "Zamfara Well-women Programme" had stepped up its awareness campaign to sensitise women on the need to attend ante-natal care.

"It is unfortunate that a lot of women, especially in the rural areas, die while giving birth, largely due to inaccessibility and sometimes unavailability of healthcare services in their areas," she said.

She said that the NGO sponsored about 140 women for screening and treatment for breast cancer as part of its determination to improve the healthcare conditions of women in the state.

Shinkafi pledged that her NGO would collaborate with government and donor agencies to ensure adequate provision of healthcare facilities at the rural areas, adding that it would also encourage women to take advantage of such facilities to improve their health.

She urged health workers to "judiciously operate" government's free medical care for women and children so that the scheme could have maximum impact on the lives of the people.

Speaking earlier, the Commissioner of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Anka, said that the state has prioritised the welfare of women especially in reproductive healthcare.

She said that government was also not oblivious of the plight of women, adding that government was determined to address their plight.

(NAN)