From Ali Garba , Bauchi

The Bauchi State office of the Millennium Development goals (MDGS) has disclosed that over 600,000 women die of pregnancy related causes in the world annually and Nigeria alone accounts for 10 percent of this figure. "One Nigerian woman dies every ten minutes".

 Special Assistant to the state governor, Malam Isa Yuguda, on Millennium Development Goals Hajiya Hajara Yakubu Wanka, gave the statistics in a summit on child /maternal mortality organized by the MDG in conjuction with the office of the state first lady.

 Hajiya Hajara stated that, in Bauchi State alone, according to studies done by the United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA), the maternal mortality rate worsened from 1350/100,000 of lives birth in 2003 to 1380/100,000 in 2006,

 According to her, the rate was highly significant number of child bearing women age does not survive pregnancy and child birth or the immediate six weeks of delivery

 She explained that, only 43.8 percent of women in the state received anti-natal care (ANC) during pregnancy, while 14. 6 percent give birth in health facility with trained personnel, such as doctors, nurses and midwives attending to only about one third of the deliveries.

 She further stated that the situation in Bauchi was not better compared to other states of the federation, pointing out that the infant mortality rate in the state increased from 98/1000 in 1990 to 132/1000 in 2006

 The special assistant, attributed the increase in mortality rate to weak and poor primary health care system in the state saying that "the major challenges to maternal and child deaths are due lack of skilled and motivated staff as well as inadequate drugs and equipments in health centres.

 According her, the Governor Yuguda administration, since assumption, had done a lot to revive the ailing health sector by establishment of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Agency, for effective and efficient primary health services delivery to the masses particularly in the rural areas.

 Apart from that, the state government also provided to all general hospitals and the specialist hospital a brand new electricity generator set each to ensure adequate power supply, in addition to functional water supply schemes.

 Hajiya Hajara commended the governor for the establishment of the state agency for the control HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and other diseases associated with pregnancy with the aim of reducing drastically the rate of maternal and child deaths

 She urged participants at the summit to come up with new ideas that would save the lives of millions of mothers and children in the country.

NPC pledges timely dissemination of census data

The National Population Commission (NPC) has assured that it would soon disseminate census data to all potential users of the 2006 census final results.

The chairman of the commission, Chief Samu'ila Makama, made this known in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, in a message to a four-day workshop for its secretaries and typists, last week.

He stressed the need for training and retraining of secretaries and typists of the commission to facilitate the final release of the census figures.

Chief Makama said, the commission would put in place all administrative machineries for an accurate, reliable and timely data to the nation.

He said: ``The world is fast becoming computerised and most basic activities in public service, including secretarial duties are done through computer and information technology equipment.

``While the secretaries of the commission are computer literate and cannot be left out of the information technology, there is the need to improve their efficiency for maximum productivity.''

The chairman's address was read by the NPC federal commissioner in charge of Niger State, Alhaji Mohammed Liman.

Also speaking at the occasion, Governor Ibrahim Idris said confidential secretaries and typists were the ``archives'' to the chief executive and other key staff of any organisation, whether public or private.

Governor dris, represented by the secretary to the state government, Alhaji Musa Ahmadu, promised the state government's cooperation to the commission. The Federal Population Commissioner in charge of Kogi, Mr Samuel Lawal, reiterated the commission's determination to train its staff on capacity building.

The workshop has in attendance, 84 secretaries and typists from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. (NAN)