Many stakeholders working to improve maternal health have observed and argued that some women in Nigeria prefer delivery at traditional birth homes to hospitals, yet the TBAs are not skilled or trained to deliver women during complications.
In a bid to throw more light on Nigeria's strides towards achieving the MDG 2015 targets, the NOTAGAIN team highlights some of the achievements that have been made, and suggests a way out for stakeholders.
Maternal death is one of the daunting consequences of inadequate health care during pregnancies and within 42 days after termination of pregnancy. The mere fact that it can be avoided unlike some public health issues indicates that it could be reduced to the barest minimum if adequate measure is taken.
Primary Health Care has long been regarded as the ‘first port of call’ as far as public health care is concerned in Nigeria. Its role in the reduction of maternal deaths cannot be underestimated, especially because it provides affordable maternal and child health care for women and children in urban and rural settlements alike.
There is no gain saying that women still die during pregnancy and after child birth in Nigeria despite efforts by the federal government, donor agencies, health care providers and civil society members to curb maternal deaths.
Nigeria is one of the 189 countries that agreed to reduce its maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters between year 1990 and 2015. By mid 2014, when the Nigeria Demographic Health Survey 2013 was released, it became apparent that the country was unlikely to meet a number of Millennium Development Goals, in which goal 5 is a key component.
In this report, the NOTAGAIN editorial team narrates the underlying factors behind the death of Mrs. Folake Oduyoye, a Nigerian woman who died at LUTH for inability to pay the sum of 1million naira. This article covers the period of delivery to the aftermath of Folake's death and suggests a way forward to avoiding future occurrences.
Expert advocates for girl child education and funding for health sector
"Maternal Death is tragic - they are like accident, a woman hale and hearty goes to the labor ward to give birth and doesn’t come back. What should have been a joyful event for everyone becomes a thing of sadness to the family and friends". Those were the words used by Dr. Wilson Imogan to describe maternal deaths.
The delivery of a healthy baby, coupled with a healthy post delivery period in a positive environment, is the desire of every family – this is because it supports the physical and emotional needs of the mother, the baby and the family at large.
It is also a fact that pregnancy and childbirth have great effect on the health of women and their families. The death of a woman during pregnancy, at delivery, or soon after delivery is a tragedy for her family and the society as a whole.
Free maternal and child health care in Nigeria, since pronouncement in Kano State in 2001 has been received with utmost privilege and fast becoming a yardstick for judging a performing administration. This report compiled by Ayodele Adesanmi reveals the inter-relationship between maternal health and human rights.
Pregnant women accessing antenatal care at Yakasai Primary Health Centre in Soba Local Government area of Kaduna has appealed to the authorities of the hospital to upgrade the facility to operate 24 hrs a day and increase health workers in the centre.
This appeal was made during a visit to the community recently by NOTAGAIN Campaign and other civil society organisations (CSOs) in the state. It was gathered that bad roads, inadequate health workers and lack of care for women undergoing labour at night, were major challenges facing the residents of the community.
