By Kemi Olatunde

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Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Faith-Based Mission Home Practitioners have been called upon to support the Ondo State government in eradicating maternal deaths in the state.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Adeniran Ikuomola made the call during a sensitisation meeting on maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response for TBAs in Akure.

Describing them as crucial in the fight against maternal mortality rate in the state, he stated that most maternal deaths are a result of participants failing to refer challenging cases to government health facilities in a timely manner to prevent deaths.

He stressed the need for them to educate pregnant women on the importance of self-care through healthy eating and proper cleaning of their environment.

He added that they should embrace exclusive breastfeeding and adequate immunisation of their children.

Ikuomola called for collaboration between TBAs and government health facilities to ensure that proper medical tests are conducted for pregnant women to prevent complications during labor.

He advised that they encourage women to embrace family planning and regular breast examinations, adding that they should become government spokespersons in the fight against cholera in the state.

In her presentation, the event’s focal person, Mrs. Kunlere Elizabeth, noted that the meeting aimed to improve the quality of care for maternal and perinatal health, noting that 295,000 maternal deaths occur worldwide yearly.

According to her, in Nigeria, there are 1,047 deaths per 100,000 deliveries, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), stating that the country has the highest global burden of maternal deaths in the world.

In his presentation on “Understanding Maternal Deaths, Causes, and Accountability/Referral Mechanisms,” Director of Family Health, Dr. Isaac Aladeniyi, listed the implications of maternal deaths to the state.

He listed excessive bleeding of women after birth, convulsions in pregnancy, uncontrolled tearing of the uterus, unsafe abortions, and infections as the major causes of preventable maternal deaths.

Administrative Secretary of the Ondo State Alternative Medicine Board, Mrs. Lucy Ranti-Akerele, while speaking earlier, stressed the need for participants to carry out their duties in line with the law, calling for individual registration of participants at the board.