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Is Nigeria winning war against maternal mortality?

By Maria Famakinwa

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria accounts for over 34 percent of global maternal deaths. The lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, or after an abortion for a Nigerian woman is 1 in 22, compared to 1 in 4900 in developed countries. Preventing maternal mortality and improving the maternal health of Nigerian women needs a multifaceted undertaking. The combined efforts can be accomplished through the collective efforts of health care providers, pregnant women, members of society, and the government as a whole.

Although analyses of recent trends showed that Nigeria has made some progress in cutting down maternal mortality rate, but the pace remains too slow to achieve the target of ending preventable deaths of newborns and children before year 2030. The Hope spoke with some health officials to get their views.

In the submission of a nurse, Mrs Afolabi she explained that the situation is better now compared to what it was in the past but added that the government could still do better.

The nurse who blamed maternal mortality deaths across the country on Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) and mission house said: “If the war against maternal mortality is to be won, government at different levels should intensify efforts at sensitizing the masses against patronizing birth attendants and mission houses. Government should go a little further to sanction any erring traditional birth attendant or mission house that flout the order to serve as deterrent.”

The woman who further revealed that financial challenge was the major reason some pregnant women visited TBA and mission houses urged government to equip Primary Health Cares in the country to take care of some of the needs of pregnant women.

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Sharing a similar view, another health provider, Mrs Yemi Akingbade, who submitted that improving overall quality of healthcare is crucial to reducing maternal mortality in the country said: “delay in making decision to seek maternal health care, delay in locating and arriving at a medical facility and delay in receiving skilled pregnancy care when the woman gets to the health facility are some of the factors responsible for high maternal mortality in the country”.

On government efforts at reducing maternal mortality  in the country said: “Government should be commended so far because things are getting better with different Primary Health Cares across the country that are easily accessible. The only problem is for expectant mothers to present themselves in the hospitals for proper treatment.

“Despite many efforts of the government to encourage pregnant women to visit hospitals, many especially in the rural areas still prefer to either go to church or local birth attendants. Only for them to be referred to hospitals when they are in critical conditions. Winning war against maternal mortality is a collective efforts. The society, expectant mothers and the government should work together to win the war,”  she said.

A retired midwife, Mrs Iyaduni Alonge, urged government to increase the yearly allocation of health sector so that citizens can have access to quality healthcare. She lamented that some pregnant women in rural areas trek  long distance to get to a health facility. This according to her, is inimical to maternal health, because delay and unduly prolonged labour lead to birth complications.

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On how to reduce maternal mortality she said: “If our leaders keep booking the next flight to Western nations for medical solutions, showed that they are not ready to improve our hospitals. Anytime they decide to seek medical attention at home, our health sector will be revived,” she said.

The Hope spoke with Dr. Omowumi Afolabi of the Community Health, Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owo. She explained that there was reduction in maternal mortality  in the country compared to what it was years ago but maintained that we could still do better.

On the efforts of government at reducing deaths related to maternal mortality she said: “The level of awareness and sensitization of expectant mothers especially at the rural areas against patronizing TBA is high and yielding positive result.  Another efforts of government at winning the war against maternal mortality is to encourage pregnant women to present themselves to the hospital as early as possible and attend any health centre nearest to them.

“Expectant mothers also have roles to play at reducing needless deaths during childbirth, some of them delay in making decision of the hospital to go for ante-natal and delay in registration . Some of them don’t even take the normal routine medication for pregnant women like folic acid, B-complex among others religiously. All these works together for save delivery,” she said.

Dr. Afolabi who advised expectant mothers to stop praying against having their babies through caesarian section revealed that a baby could be born in two different ways depending on some medical facts before the doctors. “A baby can be born normally or through caesarian section depending on the doctor’s safety decision at reducing  maternal mortality, but some pregnant women ignorantly pray against caesarian section or refuse it. Pregnant women need to be educated more about this. What matter most is for the mother and child to be in good condition. They must cooperative with medical doctors to give them the best for save delivery. All these will help to reduce maternal mortality,” she advised.

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