Bauchi, Jan. 22, 2026 (NAN) Health workers in Bauchi State have urged governments at all levels to increase funding and provide adequate Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) facilities to protect newborns and children from preventable infections.
The health workers made the call at the end of a three-day capacity-building training on IPC, which concluded on Thursday in Bauchi.
The training was organised by the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Programme of the College of Medical Sciences, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi.
Participants were drawn from the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and the Emergency Paediatric Unit/Early Pregnancy Unit (EPU) of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH).
They also included health workers from the Specialist Hospital, Bauchi.
Speaking at the closing session, Dr Sadiq Abubakar, a lecturer at the College of Medical Sciences, ATBU, expressed concern over the high burden of infections, particularly among children under five years of age.
He said hospital-acquired infections remained a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in paediatric and neonatal care settings.
According to him, many of the infections are preventable through strict adherence to IPC protocols, availability of essential equipment and continuous capacity building for frontline health workers.
Abubakar, therefore, called on governments to demonstrate stronger political will by investing more in IPC infrastructure and supplies across health facilities.
Also speaking, Dr Fadimatu Bindow of ATBUTH highlighted the serious impact of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in neonatal and paediatric units.
She said the training enhanced participants’ understanding of infection transmission routes and equipped them with practical strategies to prevent infections in daily clinical practice.
Bindow urged government authorities to support health workers with functional facilities and tools to strengthen IPC compliance.
In his remarks, Dr Malik Isa, a resident doctor at ATBUTH, also called for improved funding and provision of modern equipment.
He stressed that protecting newborns and children required sustained commitment to infection prevention at all levels of healthcare delivery.
Isa expressed optimism that with adequate support, strengthened IPC practices would significantly reduce preventable deaths among vulnerable children in the state. (NAN)
