By Aliyu Bala Gerengi, Gombe
Health experts in Gombe State have intensified calls for increased awareness, early detection and improved maternal healthcare services as activities marking the 2026 World Preeclampsia Day ended with renewed commitment to reducing maternal and infant deaths linked to the condition.
The campaign, led by specialists from the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, featured medical outreach, health talks, awareness campaigns, courtesy visits and lectures conducted across eleven health facilities within Gombe metropolis.
Speaking during the commemoration with the theme “Know the Symptoms and Take Action,” the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Yusuf Abdullahi, assured stakeholders of the institution’s continued support toward combating preeclampsia in the state.
Professor Abdullahi, represented by the Deputy Chief Medical Director, Dr. Bukar Yakubu, commended members of the preeclampsia awareness team for initiating programmes aimed at educating communities and strengthening maternal healthcare services.
He urged the team to intensify sensitization campaigns to ensure pregnant women and their families understand the dangers associated with preeclampsia, which health experts described as one of the leading causes of maternal deaths when not properly managed.
Consultant Gynaecologist at the hospital and Chairperson of the Preeclampsia Campaign Team in Gombe State, Dr. Amina Rabi’u Baba, said the initiative was designed to save the lives of mothers and babies through public enlightenment, medical outreach and early medical intervention.
According to her, the awareness campaign began with health education sessions and outreach visits to hospitals and primary healthcare centres before concluding with a public lecture at Professor Idris Hall, College of Medical Sciences, Gombe.
Dr. Amina identified shortage of manpower, inadequate awareness and delays in attending antenatal clinics as some of the major challenges affecting efforts to tackle preeclampsia cases in the state.
As part of the outreach activities, medical experts visited Town Maternity Primary Health Centre, popularly known as Gidan Magani, where healthcare workers received training on handling preeclampsia cases and donated medical items were presented to the facility.
Addressing journalists during the visit, former Chief Medical Director of the hospital and leader of the outreach team, Professor Aliyu Usman El-Nafaty, explained that women with first pregnancies, high blood pressure, sickle cell disease and multiple pregnancies are among those at higher risk of developing preeclampsia.
He advised pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics regularly for early diagnosis and proper monitoring, while urging husbands to support their wives in accessing healthcare services during pregnancy.
Also speaking, Yakubu Musa Na Magajin Garin Gombe warned against preventing pregnant women from seeking hospital care, describing the practice as dangerous and harmful to maternal health.
The Officer in Charge of the Town Maternity Primary Health Centre, Hajiya Zainab Umar Chiroma, appreciated the outreach team for selecting the facility as one of the beneficiaries of the programme and pledged proper use of the donated items.
During health talks with antenatal clinic attendees, Registered Nurse RN Samira Salihu educated pregnant women on preventive measures and symptoms associated with preeclampsia, describing the condition as a serious threat to maternal and child health.
At the closing lecture titled “Together We Can Save Mothers and Babies,” former Commissioner for Health in Gombe State, Dr. Habu Dahiru, commended the state government for improving healthcare services through the upgrading of general hospitals and 114 primary healthcare centres across the state.
He described preeclampsia as a manageable and treatable condition when detected early, stressing the need for collective action among healthcare workers, communities and government institutions.
Delivering a keynote address on “The Burden of Preeclampsia in Our Community,” Provost of the College of Medicine at Gombe State University, Professor Joshua Difa, explained that preeclampsia is characterized by a dangerous rise in blood pressure during pregnancy and can lead to severe complications for both mother and baby.
He identified poverty, obesity, kidney disease and multiple pregnancies as major risk factors associated with the condition.
The programme ended with drama presentations, group photographs and renewed calls for stronger public awareness and improved maternal healthcare services to reduce deaths related to preeclampsia in Gombe State.
