The Kwara State Government has intensified efforts to reduce teenage pregnancy and end child marriage as part of a broader strategy to improve maternal and child health outcomes, saying sustained investments in the health sector are beginning to deliver measurable results across the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, disclosed this during the finalisation of the 2026 Joint Annual Review of the health sector in Ilorin.
She said the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration, in collaboration with development partners, has implemented several interventions to reduce early pregnancies, end child marriage and improve access to quality healthcare.
“We have implemented programmes to reduce teenage pregnancy and child marriage in collaboration with our development partners through sustained community sensitisation and other interventions aimed to improve maternal and child health outcomes,” she said.
According to El-Imam, family planning programmes, maternal healthcare initiatives and community sensitisation campaigns remain central to the state’s efforts to improve reproductive health and protect adolescents.
She added that the government has sustained reforms in healthcare infrastructure, primary healthcare revitalisation, health insurance expansion, human resource development and disease control.
The commissioner described the Joint Annual Review as an important accountability mechanism for assessing sector performance, identifying gaps and setting priorities for the coming year.
She also highlighted efforts to reduce maternal and newborn deaths through improved referral systems and capacity building for frontline health workers under the State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System and the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health Plus Nutrition programme.
El-Imam disclosed that Kwara recorded Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy treatment rates of between 97 and 100 per cent for malaria management across all 16 local government areas.
She, however, acknowledged that challenges remain in increasing facility-based deliveries, postnatal care utilisation and preventive treatment for pregnant women.
The commissioner urged stakeholders to make evidence-based recommendations that would accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage and further reduce maternal and child mortality.
State Coordinator of the Sector-Wide Approach, Ola Ahmed, said the review would shape planning for 2027 by identifying achievements, addressing challenges and strengthening future healthcare interventions.
Traditional rulers, including the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo and the Ohoro of Shao, also pledged continued support for government campaigns aimed at reducing teenage pregnancy, Teenage marriage and improving public health across the state.
