Traditional birth attendants in Kwara will henceforth receive N5,000 for every pregnant mother they bring for delivery in government hospitals.

The state Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Kayode Issa, said this yesterday in Ilorin when he received a delegation of health experts from McCann World Group in his office.

Issa, who noted that the payment of the sum was an initiative of the state government, pointed out that it was to enable traditional birth attendants to embrace orthodox medicine.

He also said the fee of local birth attendants was about N2, 000, adding that the new incentive had engendered positive result.

“Our society is still evolving and we have to be diplomatic as well as employ every means at our disposal to bring our women to give birth in the hospital for optimum health,” he said.

The commissioner also promised that government would give incentives in form of kits to every pregnant mother attending ante-natal sessions in public hospitals.

He said the kits would contain all necessary delivery items that women and babies need, including sanitary towel, flask, soap and baby diapers.

“What dissuades mothers from attending hospitals is the inability to provide these items.

“That is why the government has come up with this strategy of kits,” he said.

Earlier, Dr Daniel Currucci, the Senior Adviser, Global Health, said the aim of the visit was to foster partnership with the state government on effective communication on health.

He said McCann was the largest advertising agency in the world, adding that it had health-related subsidiaries committed to promoting healthcare worldwide.

“We intend to tackle the problem of managing health through advertising health approaches,” he said