NIGERIA-MATERNAL MORTALITY Nigeria works with traditional birth attendants to reduce maternal mortality

Record ID: 149252

  • Title: NIGERIA-MATERNAL MORTALITY Nigeria works with traditional birth attendants to reduce maternal mortality
  • Date: 22nd July 2015
  • Summary: OGUN, NIGERIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WOMAN COOKING LOCAL HERBAL DRINK POT ON FIRE WITH FRUITS AND HERBS INSIDE PREGNANT WOMAN WALKING INTO A LOCAL BIRTH ATTENDANT HOUSE VARIOUS OF LOCAL BIRTH ATTENDANT, BOLA ODUNUSI, TALKING TO A PREGNANT WOMAN VARIOUS OF PREGNANT WOMAN SEATED ONDUSI EXAMINING EXPECTANT MOTHER, BUKOLA BAKARE (SOUNDBITE) (Yoruba) TRADITIONAL BIRTH AT
  • Embargoed: 6th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA56VU0AV2XQUHX2BK23GT9IIMC
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: In Nigeria's south-western state of Ogun, traditional birth attendant Bola Odunusi starts her day by preparing a herbal drink as she waits for the expectant women who will come in for their routine checkups.
    The drink made from boiled herbs, roots and fruits is said to help protect her clients from malaria and helps the mother have an easy delivery to avoid undergoing a caesarean section.
    Traditional birth attendants in Nigeria continue to be a first choice option for many women, despite experts warning on unhygienic conditions and unconventional treatment some of them offer clients.
    Odunusi sees about 50 women every week. Bukola Bakare has come in for a check up today.
    "We use herbs to treat our pregnant women, and we want the government to help by giving us delivery kits that we can use, they have taught us how to use them but they have not supplied them. Those that came said we would have to pay for it. They should give us kits so that we can work better," she said.
    "Truly the hospital is good, may God make it easy all of us. But in the hospitals, if there is any complication the next thing will be surgery but in traditional birth homes, they will give you some soaps, some concoctions and the woman will deliver. That is why I prefer traditional birth homes," said Bukola Bakare, an expectant mother.
    Most maternal deaths occur during labour, delivery or soon afterwards.
    Key to reducing maternal mortality is for women giving birth to have a doctor, midwife, or nurse present in case they need skilled assistance, such as the use of forceps, administration of drugs or surgery.
    At the state run Sagamu general hospital in Ogun state more and more mothers are beginning to attend antenatal clinics after awareness campaigns were carried out in the community on the risks of traditional birth attendants.
    Traditional birth attendants continue to be relevant in child delivery services for many rural expectant mothers owing to cultural beliefs and proximity so the government is working with partners to train traditional birth attendants and equip them with modern delivery kits that are sometimes distributed free of charge.
    Kehinde Lawal is a midwife at the hospital.
    "We now look for a way to at least achieve our aims. The aim is to reduce maternal mortality rate and our people keep on going to these people (traditional birth attendants) no matter the health education. Some are still adamant; they will go there so we now said okay let us do training for them. Expose their knowledge, give them information that they need in handling a pregnant woman to a delivery stage and to identify some signs in those pregnant mothers that they cannot handle so that they will do a referral to a general hospital, to a competent hand where they can manage those complications. At least the mother will be safe, the child will be safe," she said.
    According to a new report compiled as part of the United Nations' "Every Woman Every Child" initiative, fifteen million of the 135 million babies born in 2010 were premature and 1.1 million died.
    The report, "Born too Soon", which was written by experts from 11 countries with analysis from 184 nations, was intended to draw attention to child and maternal mortality and attract donations from governments and charities to solve it.
    Nigeria is second after India on the list of countries mostly affected by maternal death. Every single day, Nigeria loses about 2,300 under-five year olds and 145 women of childbearing age according to childrens agncy Unicef.
    Growing evidence indicates that many of these deaths could be avoided through better information and access to skilled birth attendants.
    Health workers at the hospital say many in the community now see the importance of getting medical services at a health facility rather than relying on traditional birth attendants.
    "Initially when I came here, the level of people attending the hospital was lower. If you tell a woman that you want to do a Caesarian section, she will likely run away. But with the awareness and the community knowing that there are some specialists here, people who could handle their plights, it has gotten much much better so we need to place skilled personnel in this rural area," said Babs. Olorundami a consultant physician and gynaecologist, at Sagamu general hospital.
    Unicef also notes that a woman's chance of dying from pregnancy and childbirth in Nigeria is 1 in 13. Although many of these deaths are preventable, the coverage and quality of health care services in Nigeria continue to fail women and children. Less than 20 percent of health facilities offer emergency obstetric care and only 35 percent of deliveries are attended by skilled birth attendants.
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