Pregnancy is not just a journey of life, it is a gamble with death for women in Tudun Fulani, a rural community in Bunkure Local Government Area (LGA) of Kano State. With the nearest hospital in another town, expectant mothers like Hadiza Shu’aibu, a mother of five, risk everything on perilous roads, hoping to make it in time. Many do not.
Hadiza recalled one life-threatening incident. “My co-wife went into labour at night. It was breeched. I found a motorcycle, and we rode in the dark, on bad roads. A truck nearly hit us. The baby’s feet were already out before we got to Dan Hassan PHC. We both cried, I thought we would lose her.”
Tudun Fulani has a population of over 3,000 but lacks even a basic health post. The nearest Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) is in Dan Hassan in neighbouring Kura LGA, more than 20 kilometres away over rough, untarred roads. Classified as a Level 2 PHC, it serves multiple surrounding communities but remains difficult to access.
Pregnant women, children, and the elderly are most affected. Transportation costs often exceed 3,000 Naira, forcing some families to opt for home deliveries or skip antenatal and immunisation services altogether. Despite the government’s commitment to PHC revitalisation, Tudun Fulani remains excluded.
Umar Soja, another resident, added that the community lacks good roads, “and a hospital [which] is the worst. Even malaria becomes dangerous. We need at least an emergency transport service.”
“We’ve lost many women on the way to the hospital,” Ibrahim Ashiru, the community leader, lamented. “A clinic here would save lives. We have made several appeals, but nothing has changed.” Health experts consistently link distance and poor access with increased maternal and newborn deaths. In such contexts, health-seeking behaviour declines, and overburdened staff at the nearest facilities struggle to cope with the demand from multiple villages.
Image credit: Nigeria Health Watch
The absence of a nearby health facility in Tudun Fulani and neighbouring Mayana and Marke, with over 10,000 population has led to avoidable maternal and child deaths. The situation strains Dan Hassan PHC’s limited infrastructure and workforce. Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) does not currently reach Tudun Fulani, leaving a critical service gap. The Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (2023–2027) highlights equitable access as a core pillar. However, for Tudun Fulani, this remains a promise yet to be fulfilled.
Image credit: Nigeria Health Watch
Government stakeholders must prioritise building a PHC facility within Tudun Fulani. In the interim, an emergency transportation system should be established to link residents to existing facilities.
“I pray the government helps us,” Hadiza said. “Even if not for me, let it be for the future mothers of this village, so they don’t suffer like we did.”