Borno Takes Over Child Birth Spacing Program as Donor Support Winds Down
By: Adamu Aliyu Ngulde, Maiduguri Borno State has begun transitioning to full control of its child birth spacing (CBS) program following more than three years of support from The Challenge Initiative (TCI), a global health organization that has helped improve maternal and child health across the region. At a ceremony held on Thursday at the Borno State Primary Healthcare Development Board in Maiduguri, government officials and health partners reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining the program’s progress and ensuring continuity after TCI’s gradual exit. Dr. Taiwo Johnson, TCI’s Country Director, said the organization had achieved “remarkable progress” in promoting social and behavioral change across the state. She clarified that the transition does not mark a complete withdrawal, but a shift toward state ownership and long-term sustainability. “Borno once had one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Nigeria,” Dr. Johnson said. “Through this intervention, we hav...