‘Nigeria Loses N132bn Annually to Malaria Scourge’

By Senator Iroegbu

Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad Pate


Nigeria loses about N132 billion annually to managing malaria illnesses among its population leading to depletion of labour force through the diseases caused by specie of mosquitoes.

Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad Pate, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, at the unveiling of the Malaria Action Programme for States, MAPS-Nigeria aimed at reducing the incident of malaria attack in the country.


Pate, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Dr. Labaran Shinkafi, noted that associated loss includes huge man hour loss adding that the diseases acquired from bite of mosquito specie have been devastating to the human and economy of the Nigeria and the continent.

He said: “The impact of malaria is enormous as Nigeria losses N132billion to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria this is apart from the loss of man hour by the nation’s labour force.

“One African child dies from malaria, and malaria related illness. This costs Africa’s economy $12billion per year. In Nigeria, over 90 per cent of our populations are at risk and malaria is still the leading cause of death in Nigeria, contributing to 30 per cent of childhood mortality and 11 per cent of maternal mortality.”

Also, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terrence McCulley, had said the Obama administration was committed to partnering with African countries to build capacity in stamping out malaria.

The MAPs project, which spans five years beginning from 2010 to 2015 has an $82 million commitment form multinational collaboration led by the United States Agency for International Development (USIAD) is aimed at curbing proliferation of malaria in the country.

The programme is running is six states namely Ebonyi, Zamfara, Benue, Nasarawa Oyo and Rivers with the promise that the seventh state would soon be added.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/-nigeria-loses-n132bn-annually-to-malaria-scourge-/104474/

Nigeria receives international award for good governance in maternal healthcare

Nigeria's sustained efforts at reducing maternal and child mortality as well as improving healthcare has been rewarded by the International Social Security Association (ISSA).

ISSA and other African countries attending the ongoing Regional Social Security Forum for Africa in Arusha, Tanzania, applauded Nigeria for the way it is managing the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Nigeria was also rewarded for its achievement in Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as maternal and child health care projects.

Mr Errol Stoove, the President of ISSA, said that the award was to encourage organisations involved in social security matters.

According to him, the award is also to let such organisations know when they are making progress.

Stoove described Nigeria's effort as resilient effort, saying that all the countries that received awards at the forum should be given the necessary support to enable them to do their jobs well.

``Nigeria made great effort in the coverage of giving people healthcare. The countries that received awards have made great efforts in their performance on coverage; on good practices, good governance. Good governance issue is also very important for us. " he stated.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Gyang Dantong, said the award meant that Nigeria was moving in the right direction in terms of healthcare service delivery to the people.

``Today people from outside are telling us that what we are doing, we are getting right. It's a times that we need to encourage ourselves and make sure that we move forward. It's a right thing, it's a right approach.

"All we need to do is to support NHIS and see the way forward and see how we can help Nigerians to have health service affordable, accessible, and at the right time,'' Dantong said.

Responding, NHIS Executive Secretary Waziri Dogo-Muhammed, expressed happiness that Nigeria had been recognised for best practices by ISSA.

``I am very happy for my country. They found what we are doing for mothers and children under the MDGs initiative or what we are calling NHIS MDG project is a good practice worth emulating by other countries of the world.

``I am happy that at least something good has come out of Nigeria this time. You see by the time what we are doing has drawn the attention of the world, then we have a responsibility to maintain it in our country,'' Dogo said.

At least 42 countries contested for the awards in various segments of the social security programmes, out of which only 19 made it to the final stage.

Some of the other countries that also won awards in other sectors of the economy are Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Uganda, Egypt, Cameroun, Mauritius, Tanzania, Cote d'Ivoire and Swaziland.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5749095-146/story.csp

Saving infants, mothers from early death in Jigawa

THE figures had been damning. On the average, more than 91 out of about 1,000 Nigerian infants delivered die before their first birthday.

The huge resources available notwithstanding, these figures showed, according to the CIA World Factbook in November, that more infants under one-year of age, die in Nigeria than in any other African country.

An earlier report by Save the Children Fund had indicated that infant and maternal mortality were unacceptably high in some states, including Jigawa where majority of the women still deliver their babies at home, without proper medical attention from qualified birth attendants.

The report had also urged the governments to rise up to the challenge and deploy enough resources and collaborate with donor agencies to improve the situation.

It would appear that it was in response to frightening figures and the desire to save the lives of more Jigawa infants and their mothers that the Maternal Newborn Child Health (MNCH) Week was held in Kiyawa Local Council of the state last week.

One of the earliest to arrive was Mrs. Lubabatu Kiyawa who brought her one-year-old son to the Primary Health Centre in Shuwarin, Kyawa Local Council for medical check-up.

She said she and other women in the rural Kiyawa Community had heard about the exercise and wanted to avail themselves of the opportunity the Maternal Newborn Child Health Week afforded.

She told The Guardian that the exercise, which was sponsored by UNICEF, gave her and many other rural mothers opportunity to learn about proper nutrition for them and their babies and the need to breast-feed the baby exclusively, for six months.

“I was here in May when my child was about four months.

“They had examined him then and told me his nutritional level.

“Since then, I tried to do all they told me so he would remain healthy.

“This time, they tested him again and told me he was very healthy.

“That makes me very happy and we thank God for the MNCHW, which has availed us of the opportunity to learn more about how to keep us, the mothers and our children healthy by going for proper medical attention” she said.

It is understandable, therefore, that Jigawa, once classified in a World Bank report as one of the poorest states in the country is doing as much as possible to wriggle out of that mould with the support of UNICEF and other development partners. .

An independent monitor from UNICEF for the exercise, Abdulwahab Babalefo told The Guardian it was very successful.

“The turnout of mothers and their children was almost triple that of May and that indicated a high level of awareness.

“Jigawa State has demonstrated a high level of awareness because of the Gunduma Health System.

“People were trooping in and out of the centres and the Plumpy nuts for the malnourished children were being distributed.

“It lured many more mothers to come out with their babies.”

It was gathered by The Guardian that Plumpy nut is a recently developed “Ready-to-Use-Food,” that has revolutionized the way severe acute malnutrition is treated.

Plumpy nut and similar foods are a 500- kilocalories mixture of peanut butter, vitamins, minerals, powdered milk, sugar, and vegetable oil.

Administered two to three times daily, sweet tasting Plumpy nut can reverse extreme malnutrition in half the time of past products.

The Kiyawa Local Council Immunization Officer, Hashiru Muazu said while they gave anti-malarial and blood supplements to pregnant mothers, they gave the children de-worming drugs and Plumpy nuts for the malnourished ones.

He said two health facilities were provided for each of the 11 political wards in the local council for the purpose of the MNCHW, making a total of 22 health facilities.

“There was a large turn out because a lot of people had come to realize the advantage of the community-based maternal and child health care where they are given nutritional supplements.

“In some wards, we met the traditional leaders and told them about the importance of the week-long activity. And they understood and actually sensitised their people on the need to turn out en masse, which they did.

“We want Jigawa State government to know that this programme is not for the donor agencies.

“It belongs to the state and we want the state to understand that this is the only benefit of the common people living in the rural areas.

“We appeal to the state government to sustain the supply of nutritional supplements, which were supplied by UNICEF.”

The Jigawa State Nutrition Coordinator, Hajia Aishetu Aminu Zango told The Guardian that the community-based management of acute malnutrition initiated by Gunduma project has enlightened the women and contributed to the success of the exercise.

On his part, the Director, Primary Health Care, Gunduma Health System Alhaji Aminu Danmalam, said the exercise, which started two years ago, is a child-survival package meant to accelerate the child survival activities in the state.

“We are running this programme in 576 health facilities across the state, two facilities in each of the 288 wards.”

He said the health workers carried out the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) screening whereby a nutritional valve “is wrapped around a child’s upper arm to show the level of his nutritional status and from there determine whether he is nutritionally sound, moderate or in danger to require additional intervention.”

According to him: “The people are responding because this is one of the biggest health events in the state.

“It is a package which draws the attention of women and children in particular because they access services in large numbers and not just for treatment or immunisation or malaria.

“We have everything packaged and being delivered at the same time and that is why the women and the children are patronising the facilities.”

He listed the development partners supporting the project to include UNICEF, the Roll Back Malaria World Bank Project, PATH and ACF.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69852:saving-infants-mothers-from-early-death-in-jigawa&catid=3:metro&Itemid=558

USAID to Fight Maternal Mortality in the Country With U.S.$56 Million

Abdulsalami Abdulfatai
Sokoto — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has earmarked $56.3 million for the implementation of a new project tagged, 'Expanded Society Marketing Project in Nigeria (ESMPIN) aimed at fighting child and maternal mortality in the country. USAID representative, Mr John Quinely disclosed this at the launch of 'Combination 3 capsule', a new pill for child spacing and reproductive health by the Society for Family Health, a Non Government Organisation.

Quinely said USAID/ESMPIN is supporting the Federal Government by expanding child spacing methods with the introduction of the new contraceptive into its family planning portfolio.

"This new product will contribute to Nigeria's efforts in achieving the Millennium Development Goals as it concerns child mortality and maternal health," he said.

In his welcome address, the Managing Director, Society for Family Health, Sir Bright Ekweremadu said one of the goals of the project is to improve the health of women and children in Nigeria by increasing modern contraceptives. He thanked USAID for supporting its programmes.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201112060785.html

Nigeria Unlikely To Actualise MDG 4&5 By 2015

The Federal Government has warned that with four years to 2015 in meeting the target of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), Nigeria may not realize goals four and five unless all hands are on deck.

The fear for attainment of Goals four and five which deals with child mortality and maternal health, were raised in the second and third quarter, 2011 report of the MDGs, to the Presidential committee on the Assessment and Monitoring of MDGs in Nigeria.

Speaking to State House correspondents, shortly after an all inclusive stakeholders meeting at the Council Chambers of the presidential villa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Dr. Precious Kalamba Gbenol, stated that unless there is a renewed commitment on the part of federal, state and local governments towards the attainment of this goals, it may be difficult for the country to meet the UN deadline of 2015.

She called for greater commitment to increase funding towards delivering of quality pro-poor services at the local level and also called on the National Assembly, to ensure the delivery of MDGs through adequate budgetary appropriations to key sectors.

She listed "improving governance and accountability, strengthening coordination between the three tiers of government, mobilizing the commitment of communities as key stakeholders as well as mainstreaming MDGs into national development plans" as gain that will flow from proper coordination.

Gbenol also appealed to the civil society to enhance their community watchdog role and provide critical feedback to inform policy development and planning

http://www.channelstv.com/global/news_details.php?nid=30495&cat=Local

Against Maternal and Infant Mortality They Gather

Ruby Leo and Rakiya A. Muhammad
Sokoto — High maternal and infant mortality rates remain a sore point in Nigeria's health delivery system which professionals discuss with passion whenever they meet, such as during a recent ceremony marking Maternal and Child Health Week in Sokoto, always in the hope that the authorities will one day learn to provide the right solution.

Maternal and infant mortality rates remain worrisome in Nigeria, especially in the northern part where the rates are particularly high. A Maternal and Child Health Week held last month in Sokoto State once again brought to the fore this concern as several factors identified as responsible for the maternal and child heath situation in the country resonated as the week was marked.

On hand to highlight the factors that can mitigate maternal/infant mortality rate was Professor Taofiq Ibrahim of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital Sokoto. "One of these factors include women of reproductive age group getting access to essential care, especially obstetric care, the availability of infrastructure at the health facilities, and having well equipped anti-natal care centre where women could deliver safely," Professor Taofiq who is of the Community Health Department of the university said.

He asked rhetorical questions indicating that in reality those are not the indices to be found: "Are facilities well established with equipment that are necessary; are personnel trained to deal with the major causes of deaths in these women? When you talk about access, is the centre close to the people; is it easy for them to reach, especially in rural communities; is the road network good?"

For Luba Musa Argungu, a zonal officer of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), northwest zone, though the maternal health situation in Sokoto has improved from 2009 due to the deployment of midwives under the MSS to various facilities, issue of delivery in hospital remains a major concern.

Argungu said, "Our women don't enjoy coming to deliver in hospital unless they are in serious emergency situations like bleeding in labour and retained placenta upon child delivery. On normal conditions, they don't come for delivery. I think lack of awareness and poverty can hinder them but gradually if they are fully aware of the importance of hospital delivery, they will embrace it. We need to educate the in-laws because some of the women are prohibited by their in-laws from going to health facilities. Others are scared of the charges despite the free medical programme of the state government. They are not sure that it is really being implemented."

The official mentioned the problem of birth delivery assistance manpower shortage, particularly midwives: "We have the traditional birth attendants some of who are trained and others not. Maybe if we complement their efforts by giving outreach services, it will help us drag to hospitals women who are supposed to deliver in hospitals."

According to her, they are also battling with retaining the midwives and meeting their accommodation and general welfare needs. She stated that under the federal government Midwives Services Scheme, they have 112 midwives out of 144 that were allotted to the state operating in 36 health facilities in nine cluster local government areas of Sokoto State.

She said, "The greatest challenge is that we are not everywhere yet, not all the facilities in Sokoto have midwives because midwives are very scarce in the country but the federal government is trying its best to complement things. Because once the skill attendants are at the sight of delivery there is every possibility for that labour to be normal and the dying of neonates will be reduced. For example, haemorrhage can be arrested by administering some medication on women who come for delivery. If we are to serve effectively for 24 hours in the 23 Local government areas in the state, we require at least 15 midwives, eight community health workers, and we need females in this aspect, because here they don't allow men to conduct delivery for their wives."

The Maternal and Child Health Week was, according to the organizers, about delivering integrated package for intervention to boost the health status of women and children.

In Sokoto, the Week was flagged off at Shagari town with a campaign rally aimed at enlightening people on the importance of safeguarding the health of mothers and children under five years.

Primary and secondary health facilities in the state were assigned for the conduct of the intervention package with services for the children such as routine immunization, polio vaccine, hepatitis, DPT in the health facilities, vitamin A de-worming tablets and birth registration.

Other services showcased include nutrition service provided while intervention for pregnant mothers include health education about ANC and delivery, tetanus vaccine, blood tonics and folic acid to check anaemia responsible for morbidity and mortality in pregnant women.

Executive Secretary, State Primary Heath Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdurrazaq Musa Gandi explained, "This is just an extra effort by the federal, state and local governments and development partners to ensure that intervention which improves the lives of children and pregnant mothers is delivered to them. It started in 2009. At that time it was supposed to be only on child health but later we found that it was important to incorporate mothers. That is why we have maternal/ new born and child health week. It is a week actually set aside to deliver this intervention and it is done twice in a year. We had one recently in June and then Monday the 14th November."

He said things were being done in the state to boost maternal and child health and curb mortalities: "There has been serious social mobilization to ensure people are actually informed. In some situations we have low utilization of these health facilities due to other factors. The state government, he said, is collaborating with development partners such as UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, and many others to ensure improvement in the wellbeing of this target group.

A mother, Hajiya Hadiza Musa, stated, "We are happy that this exercise is taking place as it would impact positively on the lives of women and children but there is need for more to be done in terms of ensuring adequate supply of drugs, well equipped health facilities, and adequate medical personnel in the rural areas at all times".

Another respondent, Aisha Muhammad, described the Week as apt in the effort towards meeting the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets on the reduction of maternal and child mortality.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201112060253.html

Appropriate Treatment is Best Prevention Against HIV Transmission - Activist

Chioma Obinna
To root out new cases of HIV & AIDS infection, an expert has said that with proper regimen of treatment or appropriate treatment, no new case of HIV transmission will be recorded through sex, or a positive person coming down with AIDS.

Also, positive mothers who religiously keep to the treatment have been proven not to transmit the virus to their babies within a success rate of 98 per cent.

Executive Director of Positive Action for Treatment Access, PATA, Rolake Odetoyinbo, said studies have shown that people living with HIV with limited significant viral load have 96 per cent success rate of not coming down with AIDS and transmitting to others."

"When you treat people with HIV, you are also protecting others without the virus." she added.

Odetoyinbo said the good thing about appropriate treatment is that it reduces viral load of a positive person to an insignificant level, making it, almost impossible to transmit the virus to uninfected person through sex. In the same vein, the infected person will not come down with AIDS.

She spoke during Unilever's interactive session on World AIDS Day with the theme: "Getting to Zero"- Zero Discrimination, Zero New infections, Zero Deaths".

She said to ensure zero new infections in line with the theme, there is need for revolutionize HIV prevention, reduction of sexual transmission of HIV by half especially among young people, men who have sex with men and in sex workers, elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, reduction of AIDS related maternal mortality reduced and prevention of all new HIV infections among people who use drugs.

To prevent infection, Odetoyinbo recommended the prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections through work place awareness creation and provision of Post exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).

Other recommendations, she made include; decreasing the incidence of HIV due to unsafe blood transfusion by supporting Blood Safety efforts, HIV testing and counselling encouraged among pregnant women to eliminate infant transmission.

Quoting that a latest survey that 39 per cent of births in Nigeria were assisted by Skilled Birth Attendants, she called for more skilled professionals during pregnancy and childbirth.

On zero AIDS related death, she stressed the need to educate, train and retrain all people on HIV and AIDS as well as push for fund treatment in line with WHO's revised treatment guidelines which recommend that infants, if HIV- exposed should be tested by four to six weeks of age and those found positive should be started on antiretroviral therapy immediately upon diagnosis to reduce infant mortality rate.

"There should be support free and accessible drugs to treat opportunistic infections.

Odetoyinbo further called on Nigeria government to honour their commitment at Abuja Declaration of budgeting 15 per cent to health.

In his views, the Managing Director, Mr. Thabo Mabe who described the theme as a daunting challenge for all, stated that nations would not fold their arms and allow HIV&AIDS to destroy humanity. For this reason, he said Unilever sees the problem as surmountable.

Mabe said: Unilever is leading a campaign against HIV & AIDS. We are among the firsts to have work place policy in Nigeria. The Federal recognised this and made Unilever a founding member and grade A member of Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NIBUCAA).

"We have over the years trained interested employees as HIV& AIDS peer educators. The most recent of these enlightenment programmes is Moments like this. It was run on 10 radio stations across Nigeria using English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba languages.

This programme reached over HIV & AIDS over 20 million listeners across Nigeria. WE have also monitored other companies to form HIV&AIDS workplace policy"

http://allafrica.com/stories/201112060531.html

WORLD AIDS DAY: Getting to Zero

Getting to Zero Campaign Count Down
(Day 3) - Zero New HIV Infections
(Day 2) - Zero Stigmatization
The Count down began 3 days to World AIDS Day 2011.
AMIHIN is part of the global voice joining the Getting to Zero Campaign:
Three days were devoted to advocating for different Ground Zero Campaigns and today is: Zero New HIV Infections.
More than 34 million people in the world have HIV; over 22 million live in Africa. The disease is the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa with approximately 3,600 people dying every day from AIDS.
It costs around 40 cents a day for the 2 antiretroviral pills needed to help keep someone living with HIV alive and healthy. Yet more than 70% of people in sub-Saharan Africa live on less than $2 a day.
In Nigeria, an estimated 3.6 percent of the population is living with HIV and AIDS. Although HIV prevalence is much lower in Nigeria than in other African countries such as South Africa and Zambia, the size of Nigeria’s population (around 149 million) means that by the end of 2009, there were 3.3 million people living with HIV
Approximately 220,000 people died from AIDS in Nigeria in 2009. With AIDS claiming so many lives, Nigeria’s life expectancy has declined significantly. In 1991 the average life expectancy was 54 years for women and 53 years for men. In 2009 these figures had fallen to 48 for women and 46 for men.
HIV PREVENTION
Our Zero New HIV Infections campaign can only be achieved with the following issues addressed:
1. Make the people understand the importance of HIV testing.
2. Educating and giving the people life skills-based HIV education
3. More Media campaigns and public awareness
4. Availability of condoms
5. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission
Advocacy for Maternal and Infant Health in Nigeria (AMIHIN) has always reached out and we will continue to do so. But we cannot do it alone.
Follow us on twitter: @amihn2000 and watch this spot!.

Curbing Maternal Deaths Through Education

CHIBUNMA UKWU

It is said that the joy of pregnancy is in safe delivery. But this joy has never been felt by many who end up losing their lives in the course of childbirth. CHIBUNMA UKWU writes that education and proper training could put an end to the ugly development.



Despite the technological advancement in healthcare delivery, Nigeria has remained one of the countries noted for her avoidably high maternal mortality. Although the government has been making efforts to control this, curbing maternal deaths has proven to be a task which everyone must contribute to.

LEADERSHIP SUNDAY gathered that the negative attitude of most Nigerians to healthcare delivery might be one of the factors responsible for the surge in maternal deaths.

According to an Abuja-based medical practitioner, Dr. Salawo Mohammed, due to a lack of sex education, young people indulge in risky sexual behaviour which expose them to diseases, and in cases where pregnancies occur, some of the youngwomen do not know what it is or the need for ante-natal care.

“There are some risk factors in pregnancies that can be easily detected and managed during the ante- natal stage. An example is the case of pregnancy-induced hypertension which leads to convulsion and finally, death, if not handled with care. There is also pregnancy-induced diabetes which is also very dangerous and which certainly leads to serious problems, if not detected and managed during the ante-natal period. There are certain things which every pregnant woman ought to observe at different stages of her condition, but most of them do not observe this,due to a lack of education,” Dr. Mohammed said.

Mohammed, a practitioner with Dawaki Medical Center, Bwari, Abuja, further explained that after childbirth, women continue to have sex with their husbands, and that though this is not wrong,the lack of sexual education still poses a problem.
“after pregnancy, a woman will not stop having sexual intercourse with the husband, but in situations where conception occurs, they ought to terminate it. Now, the mode, place and time in which a conception is terminated could equally pose more dangers to the mother,” he said.

Though the use of contraceptives could be of great help in this regard, Mohammed maintained his stand on education.”Contraceptives will only work effectively if used with knowledge, since each of them has its negative effects.”

Dr. Onyinye Amuh of the Peace Care Clinic and Maternity, Abuja, believes that the government has put in efforts in this regard, but that such efforts have left much to be desired, as most women from the grassroots have refused to see the need to take ante- natal care services seriously. “You can see this in the way pregnant women present themselves late to the hospitals for healthcare services. It tells you that they are, kind of, forced.”

Amuh agreed that the cost of such services are a contributing factor to the refusal of women to partake in ante-natal classes organised by hospitals.

“ In the rural areas where maternal deaths are higher, most women prefer patronising traditional birth attendants, so as to get healthcare services at a cheaper rate, and at the end of the day, they get infected. These women are unskilled, because they are not professionally trained, so they end up mishandling things and the pregnant women develop complications while being delivered of their babies. True, some patronise the teaching hospitals when things get worse, it is, in most cases, late for any reasonable help to be rendered,” she said.

On how best this issue could be tackled, Amuh suggested that the government needs to identify with the traditional birth attendants it can’t risk working without, since their services are still relevant, especially, in rural areas.Amuh also encouraged the government to train these traditional health attendants properly, such that they could always refer to the teaching hospitals when confronted with situations beyond them.

Stressing the effects of maternal deaths on families and the society, a pharmacist who declined stating her name said that the trauma which maternal deaths cause families cannot be over- emphasised. According to her, women play great roles in their families (which include meeting the psychological needs of the children), and if in her absence the husband is not strong and responsible enough to train the children properly, they grow up to become a threat to the society. For this reason, she called on medical personnel to be more committed to their duties.

“Child delivery is supposed to be a natural process. If handled properly, most deliveries will be successful, but experience has shown that some nurses and midwives go about their duties in a wicked manner.

“I have seen most of them turn deaf ears to the cry of women in labour with such words as ‘don’t mind her.’ The fact that this habit has become commonplace in most health delivery centres in the country, that does not make it right,” she said.

She also advocated for more training for the hospital staff, and said that when medical personnel are trained, they get to handle pregnant women differently during pre, ante and post-natal, and where complications are detected, the woman could be delivered of her baby through a caesarian section, rather than subjecting herself to a labour which may not end well.

An official of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) who also pleaded anonymity affirmed that maternal deaths have remained high in the country, despite the efforts of the government to improve maternal and child health. He, however, revealed that the government is not relenting in finding solutions that will reduce maternal deaths in the nation, if not stopping it entirely. According to him, one of the measures the government adopted included the introduction of the mid-wives service scheme (MSS), a programme which mobilises unemployed and retired midwives for deployment to selected primary health care centers in the rural areas where they can skillfully attend to pregnant women, and help reduce maternal mortality in the country.

He also stated that the government had further strenghtened this service by training most traditional birth attendants and volunteers (who will man the vehicles to ease transportation of women in labour to care centres) to be drafted to far-flung rural communities.

On the financing of the programme, the official stated that though the government is putting measures in place, it greatly depends on the local governments and the state officers of the federal ministry of health for financial supports.

The official expressed hope that though in future maternal death would become a forgotten issue in Nigeria, hospital staff must be highly committed to their duties.

“Also, awareness should always be created at all levels, as it will enhance the enlightenment of the people on the state of pregnant women. Above all, the government should monitor the situation to ensure standardised operation in hospitals,” he said.

http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/9573/2011/12/04/curbing_maternal_deaths_through_education.html

Mimiko Through the Microscope

THE governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, did not just come by the name, Caring Heart. He worked for it. He deservedly earned it. He lives it. He became synonymous with Caring Heart for the simple reason that, for the third year running, his administration has engaged in intervening in the critical sectors of the state to make life worth living for the people.

Every sector is undergoing transformation while infrastructure that will match the aspiration to create a system that could serve the purpose of the 21st century are springing up.

When he took the baton of governance in February 2009, he had declared: "I will work for you". Implicit in that declaration was a message to the people: "You have not voted me as your governor in vain?"

He came out with a 12-point developmental agenda that is today telling the story of a Caring Heart.

The areas targeted by the agenda include agriculture and food security, community-driven city and coastal region renewal and general development initiatives, aggressive capitalisation of land resource, roads and infrastructure, industrialisation, no-to-poverty, and gender equality/women empowerment. Others are healthcare and housing, education and capacity-building, artisanship development and empowerment programme, rural development, tourism, sports and youth development.

The Mimiko vision on agriculture and food security is that Ondo should not only be sufficient in food production, it was also an avenue to stem unemployment in the state by engaging the youths in modern day farming. Agriculture has since been reinvented in the state, while the youths have returned to the land to eliminate poverty and create wealth.

About 15,000 graduates are engaged in Caring Heart Agricultural Villages at Ore in Odigbo Local Government Area, Epe in Ondo East Local Government Area and Auga in Akoko North-East Local Government Area under a participant-ownership scheme. One feature of the agricultural villages is the provision of infrastructure, including housing units. The community-driven city and coastal region renewal agenda of the Mimiko administration has seen modern markets emerging from the ashes of the old ones across the state.

From Akure to Okitipupa, Ikare and Ondo town, people now carry out shopping activities in decent environment as against the former dispensation when you could not distinguish between the neighbourhood markets and pig sties. The new era has moved traders away from the streets to the market stalls, thereby freeing the roads from avoidable traffic caused by hawking.

Dealers in cars have also been relocated from road sides where they formerly displayed their wares, thus constituting public nuisance, especially in Akure. They now have the Caring Heart Auto Mart to operate from. The activities of the Mimiko administration in the almost three years of being in office also show that provision of good roads is high on its priority.

The rehabilitation and reconstruction works are based on the premise that government cannot drive the desired economic growth and development in the absence of good roads. And the Mimiko initiative does not discriminate between state and federal roads. The mantra is "zero-tolerance for bad roads".

Roads currently getting attention across Ondo State include Ogbese-Owo Road, Oyemekun-Adesida-Fiwasaye Road, Mobil/Fiwasaye-Oba Ile-Airport Road and NEPA - Arakale Road, all in Akure; as well as Itanla Junction - Ademulegun - Idi Ishin - Yaba and Akure Motor Park Road in Ondo.

Before then, the governor had caused Akure-Ilesha Road, a federal road, to be repaired, having gone into serious disrepair and causing mind-boggling accidents. Activities in the Ondo industrial sector are upswing. This is the evidence of Mimiko's impatience to industrialise the state, set a new tempo for economic growth and tackle headlong the unemployment challenge. In the pipeline is a cement manufacturing factory at Okeluse in Ose LGA. This is a product of strategic partnership with the private sector.

The moribund tomato paste factory at Arigidi - Akoko has been reactivated while the Alpha - 3D Factory at Ikare-Akoko is completed. The comatose Ifon Ceramic Industry and the Cocoa Catalytic Industry, Idanre are also receiving attention.

An automobile assembly plant is being constructed at Bomodeoku, Ita-Oba in Ondo East LGA. The N2 billion loan the state government got from the Bank of Industry is being disbursed to cooperatives, small scale enterprise operators and medium scale entrpreneurs to help in the creation of wealth, creation of jobs, accelerate industrialisation and stem rural-urban migration.

The no-to-poverty programme of the Mimiko administration and wealth distribution policy is an affirmation action that has been translated into reality as an offshoot of the ideology of the Labour Party which produced the governor. It established skill acquisition centres in the 18 LGAs of the state for people to learn vocations through which they can make a living. There are also micro-credit facilities for low income earners.

Mimiko is also supporting the state Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, OSOPADEC, with funds to expedite the transformation of lives of the people of coastal areas of the state.

For women, there is the Special Market Women Improvement Loan and Empowerment Scheme, SMILES, which gives non-collateral loans at an amazingly low nine percent interest rate. In the health sector, the Mother and Child Hospital, the Abiye Safe Motherhood project showcases the Governor's position to cut the rate of infant and maternal mortality in the state.

The innovation is on the way to becoming the World Bank's model to deepen safe motherhood in Africa. The Governor's intervention in the housing sector in collaboration with the private sector is bringing houses within the reach of the common man. Mimiko's '31s initiative' has made rural development much easier.

Under the administration's rural development scheme, graduates are employed as Community Change Agents to help reach the grassroots to identify confidence building projects. On tourism front, Idanre, the town built on amazing hills, is being developed into a tourist hub of international repute. Beyond this, a Tourism Village, to be sited in Ore, Odigbo Local Government headquarters, is in the pipeline.

The Dome, an international cultural and event centre, is also proposed for Akure.

The laurels that the football teams sponsored by the state government have been winning in international competitions are enough evidence of the pride of place sports get in the scheme of things in Ondo under the Mimiko administration.

The intervention in the education sector is lucid, and flows from a heart that truly cares. It seeks to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich, the haves and the haves not, the privileged and the less privileged. A visit to any of the mega schools will convince you that this is indeed a new dispensation in public school system in Ondo.

And to be convinced of the new dispensation, you must rewind to the pre-Mimiko era in the state when the public school system not only suffered criminal neglect but also pushed to the brink of extinction. The public school system operated in a dilapidated environment. If you are a teacher and you are teaching in a dilapidated environment without the requisite infrastructure, it doesn't matter how good you may be, pupils cannot learn well. A government is relevant to the people only to the extent at which it provides the necessary infrastructure that will aid the work of the teacher, and this has been the preoccupation of the Mimiko administration in the state education sector. The sum total of the Ondo situation of almost three years is that Caring Heart is at work.

And viewed from the microscope, the governor's sterling performance in delivering democracy dividends may be the weapon against the opposition in 2013 when he is sure to be re-elected for continuity.

Mr. KAYODE AKINMADE is Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201112050653.html

Ini LGA Flags Off Maternal, Newborn Child Health Week

Written by EMMANUEL SILAS
The maternal and newborn child health week has been flag-off in Odoro Ikpe, the Ini Local Government Area Headquarters on Friday, November 25, 20011.

Flagging off the health activities for pregnant women and new born children, the wife of the Transition Committee Chairman, Mrs. Mfoniso Etetim Anwatim, commended the state Ministry of Health for their laudable programmes and collaborating with international agencies such as WHO, UNICEF, and EU PRIME among others to prevent diseases.
Mrs. Anwatim stated that the week-long event was a fundamental approach of bringing an integrated package of preventive services believed to be cost effective yet result oriented for the improvement of child health and survival which were run in conjunction with routine services at health facilities.
She pointed out that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 were aimed at reducing the infant and maternal infant morbidity and mortality through the recommended packages including; immunization of babies between the ages 0 to 11 months, administration of Vitamin A supplement, deworming of children between 12 to 59 months, growth monitoring of children from ages 6 to 59 months, and care for the pregnant women.
According to the Ini Local Government first lady, other packages offered by the MDGs 4 and 5 were; birth registration, health education on key household practices such as exclusive breastfeeding, hand washing, prevention and care for HIV/AIDS, birth preparedness, complication readiness, child and pregnant women sleeping under lasting insecticide nets.
While admonishing parents, care-givers and guardians to make good use of the opportunity by embracing the week-long programme, she lauded the transition committee chairman, Hon. Anwatim for his resilience in the development of the entire area as evidence in the support given to health and other programmes.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Director, Primary Health Care for Ini Local Government Area, Mrs. Victoria Ibanga, noted that there had been growing concern aim at improving the maternal and child health as a result of the gloomy statistics in the sub-Saharan Africa.
Mrs. Ibanga maintained that regardless of the concerted global effort to advance the mother and child health, the situation appears to deteriorate in the developing countries especially Nigeria, stressing that the maternal and child health week was a significant opportunity with holistic intervention and packages.
She solicited the co-operation and contributions of all to actualize the MDGs objectives of reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality by the year 2015.
Mrs Ibanga acknowledged the contributions of the Transition Committee Chairman, Hon Anwatim and wife, the State Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF and other donor agencies for their input in preventing diseases and promoting health.
Highlights of the ceremony were the immunization of babies, presentation of gifts to mothers by the wife of the transition committee chairman, Mrs. Mfoniso Anwatim as well as the presentation of wheel chairs to the health department of the local government.
Present at the event were the village head of Odoro Ikpe, Chief Edet Akpan; the supervisor for health, Hon. Eme Essien; Special Adviser on Women Affair, Hon. Elizabeth Ibanga, health staff among others dignitaries.

http://weeklyinsightonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2677%3Aini-lga-flags-off-maternal-newborn-child-health-week&Itemid=2

Early ultrasound scans reduce maternal mortality -SOGON

The group also urges pre-pregnancy folic acid administration, which is known to reduce maternal anaemia and congenital malformations in babies


To reduce the increasing cases of maternal mortality in the country, pregnant women have been advised to go for ultrasound scans in the first 3-4 months of pregancy.

This advice was given by the Society of Gynaecology and Obsterics of Nigeria SOGON on Thursday in Abuja.

SOGON disclosed this in a communiqué issued at the end of its annual scientific conference and general meeting of 500 participants in Ibadan with the themes: “Promoting universal access to maternal and newborn health” and “Africa in a world of 7 billion: The case for meeting MDGs 5(a) and (b).”

“There are experts trained in ultrascanography; the scan conducted within three months or six weeks should be more reliable. Women should always see obstetricians when pregnancy is within the first three months,” the communiqué advised.

According to SOGON, pre-pregnancy folic acid administration, which is known to reduce maternal anaemia and congenital malformations in babies, should be adopted as a policy for women planning for pregnancy.

The group also called on the Presidency to immediately pass the National Health Bill into law, to enhance the performance of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.

“Any reform in the health sector which does not focus on Primary Healthcare would be a nullity if the National Health Bill is not passed into law. The Bill will enhance funding of NPHCDA and as such we cannot wait any longer, President Goodluck Jonathan should act fast and pass the Bill into law,” they urged.

The umbrella body of gynaecologists and obstetricians also called on the Federal Government to adopt the ‘no blame’ maternal mortality audit for all maternal and neonatal deaths as orthodox and traditional institutions as a national policy.

Other resolutions include: “That a functional quality assurance unit be established within the Federal Ministry of Health to improve healthcare of our people. There should also be simple, sustainable and cost-effective measures to reduce maternal and perinatal diseases and deaths, such as Midwifery Service Scheme which should be well supported and funded.

“Prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV services should be free and compulsory for every pregnant woman in Nigeria. This is to reduce the burden of HIV in the country.”

They also called on the three tiers of government to make health facilities accessible through free maternal and child healthcare policies.

http://dailytimes.com.ng/article/early-ultrasound-scans-reduce-maternal-mortality-sogon

First Lady Seeks Media Support For MDGs

ABUJA - The First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, has solicited the support of the media in realising the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs 4-6a).


The MDG 4-6a, aims to reduce by two-thirds under-five mortality rate, reduce by three quarters maternal mortality ratio and combat HIV and AIDS respectively, between 1990 and 2015.


Jonathan made the call at an interactive dinner organised by her office in Abuja on Tuesday for media executives and members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).


She said that her call became important because members of the guild had key roles to place in ensuring the success of the health programme of the government, aimed at enhancing the well being of the people.


the occasion was also to inform the Guild members about the Integrated Health Programme, an arm of the Women for Change and Development Initiative, the pet project of the First Lady..


She said: “the UN Report of June 2010 ranks Nigeria among countries that have not made significant progress in the reduction of maternal and child mortality.


“Nigeria currently contributes up to 30 per cent of the global burden of mother-to-child transmission. In our resolve to address these challenges it becomes important to build bridges for alliances and partnerships with strategic institutions such as the media.


“This is in recognition of the enormous power and influence of the media as a vital agency for public education, social mobilisation and change. And I have invited you here to seek your collaboration on this initiative. ’’


The First Lady said that the Integrated Health Program would among other things, promote access to and advocate improved budgetary allocation to maternal, child health and promote accountability in the nation’s health system.


The President’s wife added that to attain the desired success, she would undertake advocacy meetings with federal legislators, governors and their wives, media, Local Government chairmen, the private sector and other policy makers.


“That is why I have requested your attention today so that I can share with you this new platform of intervention in the general effort to extend to the women and children of our country, opportunities to improve their health status.


“It is on this premise that I hereby seek your partnership in making this programme a resounding success. I urge you to deploy your skills and influence to mobilise attention, acceptance and patronage of the services that will be made available under this programme. ’’


Dr Mohammed Pate, the Minister of State for Health, commended the First Lady for her “leadership role and for helping the defenceless in the society”, urging media executives to assist the first lady to promote the health of the people in the country.


He recalled with delight that “ in 2002, there were 11 sites for prevention-of-mother-to-child transmission but today there are more than 684 facilities, Nigeria has made significant progress but the work is far from being advanced. ’’


Earlier during the session, the Director-General of NACA, Prof. John Idoko, told the media men that the agency planned to decentralise programmes from the towns to the rural areas

http://nigerianobservernews.com/02122011/news/Other%20News/othernews6.html

Shortage of Vaccines Mar Health Week in Nasarawa

Hir Joseph
Lafia — Shortage of vaccines almost marred the week long activities planned by Nasarawa State to celebrate the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) aimed at preventing any outbreak of maternal and childhood diseases.

Our reporter who monitored the exercise in the area, observed that all other vaccines, except that for polio were in short supply, putting pressures on immunization officers who had a hectic time, trying to provide explanations to women who turn up for the exercise.

State Technical Facilitator (STF) in charge of Keffi, Iliyasu Salisu who confirmed the challenges, said it was too early to confirm the number of persons who missed some vaccines.

His words, "we have been facing this challenge for some time now. All vaccines, except for OPV, which is always surplus, were in short supply in Keffi."

The 4th Round of the Maternal, New Born and Child Health Week (MNCHWW), an intervention exercise carried out between the state and the United Nations' Children Fund (UNICEF) provide Anti natal services, Vitamin A supplementation, Routine Immunization services, De-worming and Nutrition assessment.

It also carried out hand washing demonstration, distribution of long lasting insecticide treated nets and Plus items.

The Keffi STF recalled that same challenges was encountered during the July routine immunization exercise.

He said at the Primary HealthCare Clinic at Angwan Waje, a major facility in the area, 156 clients turned up, but only 86 got vaccines.

At Tsohon Kasua, he said 87 clients turned up, but only 53 were administered, just as at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), another major centre, he said "the case was worst."

"We have devised some means; including getting phone numbers of clients, so that we can inform them on the availability of vaccine. This is to curb the complaints arising from clients on how they have been spending money and time to come, only to be disappointed with announcement of shortage of vaccines", Salisu said.

He traced the cause of the challenge to planning, explaining that concerned authorities have failed to take note of the target population, but focus on the 2006 population figure which puts Nasarawa at 1.8 million people.

Nasarawa State government has continued to challenge the 1.8 million population figures obtained by National Population Commission (NPC), saying the commission failed to take into consideration, fundamental population growth indices in the state.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201111290409.html

Family Planning - Contraception is Just the Beginning

Sola Ogundipe
Anna was 19 when she decided to have a late term abortion. It was a hugely upsetting experience for her particularly because she had not really been very conscientious about contraception. And she knew it.

Anna, like many other young, unmarried adults, practiced non-penetrative sex. So when she missed a period, she went straight to her doctor to have a pregnancy test. It came back negative.

Anna was hugely relieved. Although she had not used any reliable contraceptive, apart from the occasional condom, she did not really expect it would make much difference. Apparently, it did.

Weirdly, despite the negative pregnancy test result, she was still missing periods. She returned to her doctor, who said there was nothing to worry about - it was probably due to the hormonal changes of stopping the oral contraception. A short while later, Anna met a woman a few years older who had a child. She confided that she had found out about her pregnancy too late to have an abortion. Anna was touched and went to another doctor and did another pregnancy test then. This time, the result came back positive. By then she was 22 weeks along.

Every doctor she went to told her it was already too late to abort safely. The physician urged her to carry the pregnancy to term. But Anna never felt relieved. She was an undergraduate and had no means of supporting a child. It was a hard choice. Although she had only known for three weeks that she was pregnant, her body had known for four and a half months. A reliable contraception used timely would have saved her the agony.

Anna's case is just a tip of the iceberg. So many Nigerian women have not been so fortunate to live to lament their lack of access the right information regarding birth control apparently. Indeed, so many controversies surround birth control.

As the world's population hits the seven billion mark, the lack of information and access to contraception as a key contributor to unintended pregnancies, and in turn maternal and infant mortality becomes paramount. In a world of seven billion, empowering women and ensuring access to contraception for all individuals is a critical development strategy with wide-reaching benefits.

In the seven-billion world, access to contraception has become the cornerstone in efforts to reducing maternal mortality, and improving the lives of women and their families.

Worldwide, 215 million women have an unmet need for family planning -a number that is sure to rise unless unprecedented action is taken.

"It's clear that now is the time to turn the world's focus to family planning," noted Amy Tsui, Director of The Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health, Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and organizer of the 2011 International Conference on Family Planning, ICFP, which opens this week in Dakar, Senegal, in the heart of West Africa where fertility rates are among the highest in the world.

The ICFP which promises to feature nearly 2,000 policymakers, scientists, and advocates on the important issue of family planning, is drawing on renewed political support and funding for family planning as well contraception research, to galvanize action and results.

Ahead of the conference, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UNFPA, stated: "A world of seven billion people is a distinctive moment in history. It represents an achievement, as well as an unprecedented challenge for the future of the planet and its inhabitants. It also presents a rare opportunity for a call-to-action to renew global commitment for a healthy and sustainable world."

Today, Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world and this has largely been attributed to inadequate use of contraceptives for child spacing. Indeed, statistics depicting the maternal and child health status in Nigeria are not cheering.

The National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2008 puts the Maternal Mortality Rate at 545/100,000 live births. Statistics available have shown that only 10 to 11 per cent of Nigerians use any form of modern family planning method. Experts say this portend serous danger, as studies carried out in Nigeria shows that large percentage of Nigerian youths are sexually active.

In 1988 and 2001, the Nigerian government adopted the National Population Policy and National Reproductive Health Policy, which seek to achieve quality reproductive and sexual health for all Nigerians.

The policies were developed to address the unacceptable rate of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality in Nigeria in addition to the relating lack of awareness and utilsation of family planning services. The policy also sought to ensure that every man and woman has the opportunity to obtain and use any contraceptives of their choice "at the right place, at the right time, and at the right cost.

The Federal government recognizes maternal and child issues as an important strategy for reduction of maternal mortality in the country.

He said the initiative was made possible through the help and support of UNFPA to accelerate the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs especially the Goals 4,5 and 6.

Current prevalence rate for contraceptive use in Nigeria is approximately 11-13 percent according to latest data. This rate is very low regardless of the high rate of sexual activity and widespread awareness of the various contraceptive methods among Nigerian adolescence and youths. So it is no surprise there are so many unintended pregnancies and illegal abortions contributing to the obviously high maternal mortality ratio. All these point to one thing- an unmet need for contraceptive use.

Several factors are responsible for this, but perhaps a common reason for the low prevalence of modern contraceptive use in Nigeria, is the myth about the side effects of modern contraceptives. But observers lament that what is really lacking is the political will to provide family planning programmes using community-oriented approaches and communication programmes, to help change the myths Nigeria, now more than ever, needs to generate a political priority and a will to make a change in maternal health indicators, with the ultimate goal of providing direction to guide changes in the Nigerian Population Policy as it affects contraceptive use and family planning.

Nigerian women need access to family planning services that would not only enable them freedom to control the number and spacing of their children, but also help preserve their health and fertility and overall quality of life. This much was emphasized at a forum on maternal health in Lagos.

According to Stella Akinso, Oyo State Team Leader, Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative, NURHI, Ibadan, who said although the benefits of family planning are not immediate, they last on the long run.

"There is no one way strategy to address barriers to access and utilization of family planning, multiple strategies should be employed." Akinso observed that by allowing women freedom to control the number and spacing of their births, family planning helps women preserve their health and fertility and also contributes to improving the overall quality of their lives.

Earlier in the year, hope was rekindled for Nigerian women to have better access to adequate health care services and subsequently get improved quality of life. This development was heralded by flag-off of

the distribution of free female and male condoms, as well as injectable contraceptives and consumables and other contraceptive commodities expected to help reduce maternal and child death by 30 percent across the Federation.

Flagging off the event, Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, noted that the family planning programme has been acclaimed globally as one of the key strategies for promoting maternal, newborn and child health and for national development.

Rampant cases of unwanted pregnancies with the attendant high rate of abortion, mostly unsafe fuels maternal mortality.

Studies have shown that lack of child spacing leads to a lot of unplanned pregnancies which results in abortions or worse, deaths during child birth. According to them, the health risks of using contraceptives are much less than the risks of unwanted pregnancy and childbearing for almost all women, especially in countries with high maternal mortality rates such as Nigeria, which has continued to struggle with accepting old methods of contraception as means of family planning and recording uncontrolled deaths from incidences relating to unwanted pregnancies and child birth.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201111281010.html

1 In 18 Pregnant Women Die In Nigeria - Expert

At least one in 18 pregnant women die during or after childbirth in Nigeria, Dr Simbiat Elias, Senior Lecturer, Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), said on Thursday.


Speaking in Lagos at a workshop on maternal mortality, Elias added that about 800 in 100,000 pregnant women died in Nigeria, representing 10 per cent of the total global maternal mortality rate.


Elias identified inadequate care, lack of adequate facilities, poverty, ignorance, lack of knowledge about reproductive health and religion as some of the factors responsible for the maternal mortality.


She said that religious leaders had a huge role to play in the reduction of maternal mortality in Nigeria.


According to her, the role of religious leaders cannot be over emphasised, as followers often consult their opinions before taking decisions pertaining to their health.


She said that even though it was good to have faith, unnecessary risks should not be taken on health related issues.


Elias urged religious leaders to encourage female education as studies had shown that maternal mortality was much lower in societies where women had higher educational levels.


“Studies have shown that maternal mortality is lower in societies where women have higher educational levels and social status.”


She advised female adolescents against fornication to prevent unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions which contributed 13 per cent to the high maternal mortality rate in Nigeria.


She urged men to support and provide for their wives during pregnancy and after delivery, to reduce complications arising from childbirth which could lead to death.


Mrs Tanimola Lateefah, who represented the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, said that reduction of maternal mortality was the duty of the society.


The workshop was organised by “Oops I’m pregnant”, an NGO, in collaboration with the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN).


The theme of the workshop is: “The role of faith based organisations in achieving a reduced maternal mortality rate in Nigeria.

http://www.nigerianobservernews.com/26112011/news/news5.html

Osotimehin Tasks African Govts on Maternal, Infant Health

Prof. Babatunde Oshotimehin, Former Minister of Health


From Tunde Sanni in Ibadan
Former Minister of Health and the Executive Director, United Nations Population Funds, Prof. Babatunde Oshotimehin, has tasked heads of governments in Africa to prioritise maternal and child health in their programmes in the interest of the people. Oshotimehin at the Annual General Conference of the Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, in Ibadan noted that much still needed to be done in improving the lot of the vulnerable groups. He said that investment into women and children was necessary in ensuring quality of life and sustainable growth.

The UNFPA boss in his keynote address at the conference, themed “Promoting universal access to maternal and newborn health”, lamented that in spite of the high maternal and child mortality rate in Africa, the growth rate is still very rapid and of serious concern.


Governors Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta; and Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, who were part of the programme, spoke about their health policy thrusts. They however lamented that the pregnant mothers, in their states don't usually deliver in the hospitals in spite of the attendants at antenatal meetings. Earlier, the National President of SOGON, Dr. Tinuola Abiodun-Oshodi, said that the role of government in improving maternal and child health could not be underestimated. She, among other things, recommended increased funding of the health sector, deployment of more health attendants and child education.


The former minister pointed out that health was initially not given prominence in the Millennium Development Goals until seven years after and added that with Africa population put at 7billion, the issue of maternal and child health remained very significant.

He observed, "The population in Africa is going at a progressive rate because of high fertility rate. Our population of seven billion reflects a great stride. This is a reflection of improvement in medical services.


"Our world of seven billion is a wake-up call for all of us to look at issues beyond the number. It is a challenge; it is an opportunity and a call to action." With the progression, he said, it was projected that Africa would add yet another 1bn to its population.


Oshotimehin made reference to Niger Republic where 75 per cent of women under age 15 are married with most of them being illiterate. The women, according to him, give birth to an average of 7 children in their lifetimes. The UNFPA chief warned that unless developing economies reduced the population growth through family planning, the continent would be at risk of being plunged into economic crisis.


Tags: News, Nigeria, Infant, Health, Featured

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/osotimehin-tasks-african-govts-on-maternal-infant-health/103723/

New Partnership Merges Education, HIV, Reproductive Health for Young

Judd-Leonard Okafor

International health organisations have launched a two-year project backing calls to integrate reproductive health and HIV/AIDS services in six African countries.

The project known as The Integration Partnership (TIP) will also provide supplies for reproductive health, maternal and newborn child health, as well as integrated response to AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

The partners--Population Action International, Friends Africa and Family Care International--say the object of TIP is to increase priority and resources dedicated to integrating all the separate health services in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia, as well as and within influential global institutions including the Global Fund.

At the first Regional Summit on HIV/AIDS in Abuja, the partners said in a statement: "The integration of key health services allows countries to address simultaneously Millennium Development Goals 4, 5 and 6--respectively child mortality; maternal mortality; and HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other infectious diseases."

Crucial needs

Participants at the push stressed a need for integrate reproductive health and HIV services in Nigeria, which is thought to be facing an increase in the ratio of women dying per 100,000 live births, against falling trends globally.

The country still faces poor use of contraceptives, as low as 14.6% in 2008.

Poor contraceptive use is thought to contribute to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, affecting mostly young people aged 15 to 35.

"We have to draw public attention that rh/hiv integration is the way to go," said Olayide Akanni, executive director for Journalists Against Aids in Nigeria.

She said Nigeria's media needed to get both its public and government to pay attention to the issues at stake.

"A pregnant woman who is HIV-positive, she has to go to HIV clinic, then family planning and antenatal [clinic] separately. The services are related for the same person. Why can't these services come under one umbrella?"

She also said journalists need to understand issues surrounding integration of reproductive health and HIV/AIDS same as they have understood similar integration of services for HIV and tuberculosis care.

In comments targeted at proponents of integration, she said: "A lot of times, journalists did not understand what the issues are, and i can tell you that there aren't a lot of forums where these issues are being discussed. If we are not discussing these issues in ways journalists understand, definitely they will not report these issues or advocate for these issues."

Life choices

The summit deliberated also on ways of reaching youths with knowledge to make important life and health choices by integrating health information into mainstream education.

National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA) and other local and international agencies facilitate the siting of youth-friendly centres where young people can receive free counselling in non-hostile environment--what partners have called a one-stop-shop approach to reproductive health and HIV.

However, some centres sited in schools which requested for them have been left unattended.

But Dr Emmanuel Alhassan, director of resource mobilisation at NACA admitted getting adequate financial and human resource was a challenge, but said Nigeria and its citizens needed take ownership and responsibility to get on track with dealing with its situation.

"HIV is still with us. The related diseases of TB and malaria are still here with us. Do we agree that they are issues? Are we taking responsibility for these issues?" he questioned.

"Once we do that, other things can begin to fall into place. Then we can now look for extra [financial, material and human] resources."

The focus on youths come amidst claims that sexually active young people are more worried about pregnancy than contracting HIV/AIDS.

"They should be mindful of dual protection," said Chioma Nwachukwu, development coordinator for Friends Africa.

"The same way you are thinking about not being pregnant is the same way you should be thinking about not being positive."

In addition to targeting young people, Friends Africa wants professionals in health and education to "begin to discuss these issues at the same time," said Nwachukwu.

"We have to make sure they [young people] have the right information, knowledge and tools at all times to make right life choices."

http://allafrica.com/stories/201111240570.html

Nursing Mothers Get Free Medical Services in Kuje

Abdulkadir Y. Abdullahi

As parts of arrangements to celebrate this year's 'Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week', nursing mothers and others in Kuje Area Council will receive free medical services this week, an official of Kuje Primary Health Care has said.

Mrs. Helen Oyerinde, assistant coordinator, Family Health Unit, called on women to bring out their children with a view to accessing medical services such as immunization, advice on quality nutrition, directives on tackling malaria, anti- natal care and other forms of health education.

She said the rural population have been mobilized to participate in the programme, adding that parents are expected to go to the nearest health facilities in their communities to get their wards de-wormed and immunized against deadly diseases.

According to her, the aim of the programme was to ensure the survival of breast feeding mothers and children in such ways that will build healthy and strong families for the benefit of society, saying "the event comes up twice every year as a health intervention package."

"We have trained our personnel to carry out the tasks. We shall engage mothers in talks about anti natal care, delivery, post-natal care as well as family planning. It is really an integrated health services for mothers, newborn babies and children," she added.

The Health worker listed some of the free services to include antenatal care, tetanus toxoid, birth registration, immunization, oral rehydration salt, nutrition screening, hand washing demonstration and distributions of de-worming as well as iron/folic acid tablets, among others.

She advised parents to turn out in their large numbers to tap some useful gains from the routine exercise.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201111240578.html

Combating infant maternal mortality before 2015

By NDIDI CHUKWU

Infant and maternal mortality have been a scourge which has limited the population growth of the nation since her independence.

The situation which is of great concern to the nation's health sector is yet to receive a final solution which will afford every Nigerian child and mother the right to live.

Several attempts have being made by different administrations to achieve this one goal which has incessantly proved abortive for the reoccurring reasons that the "aims" are turned against the aim.

Based on this issue of misplaced priority, children under five years and potential Nigerian mothers die for undeserved deaths. To put things in order, world leaders in 2010 met and collectively proclaimed an ambitious target aimed at reducing infant maternal mortality by two-thirds in 2015.

While infant mortality was tagged Millennium Development Goals (MDG-4), maternal mortality answered Millennium Development Goals (MDG-5).

The MDGs are eight in all. They are MDG-1, reducing extreme poverty; MDG-2, universal primary education; MDG-3, gender and women empowerment; MDG-4, reduction of child mortality; MDG-5, reduction of maternal mortality; MDG-6, combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases; MDG-7, environmental sustainability and MDG-8, developing global partnership for development.

Expectedly, in Nigeria, politicians, government officials, healthcare providers, counsellors, Non-government Organizations (NGOs) and the civil society focused on the latest refrain: Millennium Development Goals.

As a result of the issues of poor health status in Nigeria and other African countries, World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nation's Children's Fund, (UNICEF) and other multilateral donor agencies released funds to many developing nations including Nigeria, to enable her improve her health sector.

It will be recounted also that stakeholders like the Bill and Mellinda Gate Foundation have not left any stone unturned in helping Africa to achieve this common goal. Some months ago the foundation set out about $ 500,000 for the best state to improve in health care system. Also during the UN day celebration in Nigeria, state governors were urged to contribute to develop the health system in their states and receive a reward in 2012 UN day celebration.

Barely four years to the target year of 2015, would one ask how far Nigeria has gone in reducing infant maternal mortality? A fearful statistics still toll the result charts. In Nigeria, maternal mortality ratio is about 1,100 deaths per 100,000 live births when juxtaposed with developed nations like Japan, Germany, Spain, Canada, Italy, United Kingdom and the United States.

In 2007, a report on Integrated Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Strategy by the Federal Ministry of Health, revealed that Nigeria loses 2,300 under-five-year old and 145 women of child bearing age daily.

Dr. Emmanuel Okwe, a Paediatrist has said that Nigeria has one of the poorest maternal and child care services. "Nigeria is one of the poorest countries in health care services. It is in this system that you see intolerable attitudes from health practitioners against what is obtainable in developed countries. Child bearing in most rural areas of the country is a dangerous gamble. Most maternal deaths take place at home after unsupervised deliveries," he stated

These problems are caused by "lack of skilled birth attendants, low Human resource for health, poor basic healthcare facilities, government's inability to close economic gaps, low female literacy rates and acute shortage of health professionals" he pointed out.

The report showed that the following factors were responsible for the increase in infant maternal mortality in the country also 'delay in seeking care when complications arise, reaching care when decisions are made, assessing care on arrival at healthcare facilities and referring care from where it is initiated to where it can be completed' where also said to be problems caused by naivety of pregnant women in rural areas.

He further stated that "What we need most is to raise awareness in the rural areas to practice safe motherhood. This is possible even in a dicey situation like ours."

At the federal level, this grotesque health situation has being taken care of enough that much attention should be focused on the states. It is saddening that our political leaders only make promises and not deliver. During campaigns in the country we see a situation where political aspirants make promises with their lives to the people. Most of those promises are healthcare development for the people. which only become unrealistic and we see a situation where the people in the rural areas depend only on federal hospital in their states.

The question which comes to the mind always is "if all Nigerians dwell in the city, what becomes the fate of our villages which reminds us of our culture and heritage?"

Proper awareness programmes are not yet organised to the rural areas to enable dwellers understands what the goal of the federal government is. This admittedly has to be the job of the state medical systems and this is yet to begin in most states in the country. until the state governors are compelled to improve the health system in their states the country may still be running round the circle with hope to achieve these MDGs before 2015.

We do not have enthusiastic governors who would stop at nothing in ensuring that their subjects gain ample health care services yet.

Good enough the voluntary international bodies have come up with a compelling idea to see the possibility of an improved medical system especially in the area of infant and maternal care.

The federal government can learn from this initiative by setting up such challenge to private hospitals in Nigeria especially those in rural communities, it would go along way in boosting her effort in the fight against infant and maternal mortality.

http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3003:combating-infant-maternal-mortality-before-2015&catid=44:health-news&Itemid=67

We need political will to fight malaria – Dr. Amajoh

BY 2015, it is expected that the world would witness reduction in morbidity and mortality by 75 percent. With malaria still on the rampage, this might not be visible for Africa as huge global efforts is yet to translate into total victory. In this interview, Dr. Chioma Amajoh, Deputy Director, Roll Back Malaria, Federal Ministry of Health, laments what she describes as the absence of political will to fight the disease.

She also stressed on the need to internalise behavioural change mechanism in keeping environments clean. This according to her, is critical in the war against the disease. Amajoh, who is also known as ‘Mama Malaria’ spoke to CHARLES KUMOLU.

IT was reported that by the end of last year, the world was expected to attain 80 percent coverage for treatment and distribution of bed nets; reach pregnant women with preventive treatment for malaria, have these goals been met and what does malaria control association seek to achieve?

First of all, we are looking at issues concerning vector resistance to insecticides because if they are no longer resistant to certain insecticides, we should not use those insecticides. In Nigeria we have established a reference lab and Sam Awolola is the consultant. In February this year, Awolola and I were in Geneva for the Vector Control Working Group of WHO and a three-day meeting was organised. We all agreed that we need this Mosquito control association as a symbol and as a tool to monitor pestal control activities. We are also looking at integrated type of management and statistics for monitoring mosquitoes control.

We later decided to launch our own Nigeria chapter and this association is expected to even go beyond monitoring pestal resistance and cover the issue concerning the control of the disease. If we must eliminate malaria, we must control the mosquitoes.We cannot eliminate mosquitoes anywhere, because even in the countries were they have eradicated malaria , mosquitoes are there. They are living organisms there. We are going to inaugurate to birth this association and that’s the reason we have so many experts.

We have eight functionalconsolidated labs established in the country already. And NIMR is now the reference laboratory. The experts on this are also here. We have researchers in the university supporting vector resistance technology and they are all here. We have these development agencies that will support and we have the private sector. And of course we also have even within the public sector some related line ministries, the environment, the water resources, the agriculture were they use 78 percent of them in public health we only use about 16 percent.


Dr. Amajoh
But this association has just been inaugurated, and purposely, we just decided to allow it to be democratic, because the next thing will be what is the vision, what are the objectives. We know the objectives which I have told you. But we want the experts to all agree on the mission, agree on the vision and it has to be in line with what we said.

What will be the role of the private sector in this?

They have a major role. Already, the private sector are our partners in Role Back Malaria. One fact to note is that the Role Back Malaria partnership in Nigeria works with contacts. Each partner works in each area of its operative advantage. The private sector is concerned about their profit, but they are also bringing money to support the programme. So in this association they have a stake. They will now know the insecticides that are not working. Those of them that are bringing in this insecticides, of course the regulative agencies will reorganise the logistic effects to make their insecticides effective or look for alternatives.

We have biological agents, we have insect growth regulator inhibitor that are not insecticides. We have genetic names so that they will get back to their lab and do more because they know that we will refuse those chemicals. They have to be part of this so that they will be aware of the way forward.

Each time government talks about controlling malaria what readily comes to mind is our prevailing dirty environment. This has been as old as malaria itself. Why is it that stakeholders haven’t focused on the factors that cause malaria instead of focusing on how to manage the disease?

We always talk about vector resistance chemicals, we always talk about medicine, parasite resistance to drugs. But nobody talks about the human resistance. If you keep your environment clean, I keep my environment clean, and disallow water, we will get better results. Its not spirits who make the environment dirty, its human beings who does that. People could drink their water from the sachet, banana, yoghourt and dispose it anywhere they like. And that brings me to another line of commitment as individuals even children should be committed and put these things were they belong.

In the western world there are regulations if you keep your environment clean, I keep mine too there would have been little or nothing on the causes of malaria. Even in industrial areas, if they do what they are supposed to do, the water will flow, the drains will be covered and we will have little or no problem. Even the sachet water which is discarded and the rain falls on it, the water remains on it and the mosquitoes will breed.

So, what is the way forward?

The way forward is for all of us to internalise behavioural change mechanism in keeping our environment clean. We need your support to help us to voice it and let people not just ask ;how much am I getting for doing this. Our resolve to do this has to be fueled by passion. when we do it, it would consolidate the gains we have recorded in the fight against malaria.

What is your position on this belief in most quarters that malaria has not been eradicated like it been done in some Western countries because it is business for some stakeholders. Hence, an end is not in sight for the disease?

Should it be business? 91 percent of malaria resides in Africa. Political will is the problem. If our governments can muster the political will to fight malaria, the disease will be on its way out of Africa. We have what we call ALMANAC, African Leaders Alliance Against Malaria.

It is a stakeholders forum and at the global level, Joy Kumati is the head. They are telling African leaders that we now have a scorecard where the progress countries in the campaign against malaria is reflected. When you look at your scorecard, you will know were you stand. Let there be more money on research and malaria made as a priority by governments. If we are waiting for the international community or the donor agencies to come and help us, it would not address the issue totally.

So I do not see it as a business If we must achieve the Millenium Development Goals,MDGs, we must subdue this disease. If you look at the eight MDGs, you will discover that malaria is a disease of poverty. And one of the goals is eradication of poverty, achieve basic primary education, because if you don’t change that woman, who is a caregiver, no matter what you do to help her, there would still be problems.

Thirdly, the empowerment of women. If you can empower that woman, so that when her child is ill, she will take the child to the hospital without delay. Malaria kills because, it is not detected early and they are not given adequate treatment. There is also the delay of 24 hours before going to the hospital, which can kill. And of course it contributes to child mortality, – children under five.

There is also the need to improve maternal health. Eleven percent of maternal mortality in Nigeria is due to malaria and its complications. Three hundred thousand children die of malaria annually and we call it common malaria. And we still be talking about HIV/AIDS and other diseases. If we maintain healthy environment,it will go a long way. And we still need partnership. This is the way we can achieve goals. So, I do not see it as business. I am an example of someone who has a passion for the fight against malaria. And that was how I got that name ‘Mama Malaria’.

Mine is basically on how we can fight the disease and achieve goals at the end of the day. We are doing this and people are seeing it. Our worry is why should this disease which is preventable, curable become a threat. I am sure that we will get there.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/11/we-need-political-will-to-fight-malaria-dr-amajoh/

Pre, post-natal care for mothers in Kenya, Nigeria, electronically monitored

We have a beautiful piece from a Staff Writer, Irin of News Day online.
what we need in Nigeria right now are innovative ideas and projects that are revolutionary in nature, that won't conform to the current norm by forging new ways of drastically reducing Maternal Death in Nigeria. Because honestly, its the only way if we intend to at least meet up with our 2015 target.
extract below:

Two projects, one using cellphones to deliver to expectant mothers in Kenya, electronic vouchers for pre-natal care and transportation, the other aimed at promoting maternal and child health in northern Nigeria, will receive $250 000 grants from the Saving Lives at Birth Partnership.
Both projects were motivated by the childbirth-related deaths of important women in the lives of the Africa-based project innovators.

Although Kenyan Sam Agutu and Nigerian Aminu Gamawa come from different countries and backgrounds, they share a common passionate commitment — to save the lives of women giving birth and guarantee infants a healthy start.

Agutu’s sister died in childbirth on the way to hospital. Gamawa’s mother died in childbirth too. Both men say the deaths were avoidable if better care had been available.

They’ve channelled that devastating loss into powerful motivation to improve odds for women and their babies.

Sam Agutu’s Kenyan group, Changamka Microhealth, based in Nairobi, is proposing e-vouchers delivered through cellphones to encourage women to seek care during their pregnancy and at birth. In remote areas healthcare costs and distance to clinics are barriers for women.

The e-vouchers can be used to pay for pre-natal care and transportation.

“Research shows that not receiving adequate care is a leading cause of maternal mortality in the developing world. Mothers who attend their required ante-natal visits and who deliver in hospital stand an infinitely greater chance of surviving than those who do not,” said Agutu.

“We will use Saving Lives at Birth’s support to validate the effectiveness of e-vouchers, an sms informational campaign and a transport subsidy in encouraging pregnant women to seek health care.”

The Development Research and Projects Centre in Nigeria is relying on persuasion and experience to change attitudes of some Islamic opinion leaders in the country’s Muslim northern states.

The project will leverage the persuasive powers of progressive Islamic leaders to change opinions of more traditional leaders.

“The Development Research and Projects Centre’s proposal is aimed directly at those religious leaders to change their negative messages about maternity and newborn care,” said Aminu Gamawa, Leadership Development Mechanism Fellow at the Development Research and Projects Centre.

“We want to improve the survival of women and children in Northern Nigeria, which has the highest maternal and neonatal death rate in the country as well as one of the highest in the world.”

Each programme will receive a $250 000 seed grant from the Saving Lives at Birth partnership, which includes Grand Challenges Canada, USaid, the government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Bank.

“These two bold ideas with big impact are testimonials to the loved ones these innovators lost in childbirth,” said Peter A Singer, CEO of Grand Challenges Canada, a member of the partnership.

“Their loved ones did not have to die and these innovations aim to prevent other women from dying unnecessarily in childbirth.”

“With the support and leadership of the government of Canada, this innovative initiative from Grand Challenges Canada is contributing to our overall maternal and child health efforts. I commend the Saving Lives at Birth partners for their dedication,”
said the honourable Beverley J Oda, Minister of International Co-operation.

“To deliver dramatic health results for women and children who may never step foot inside a hospital, we must harness the creativity of innovators and partners across the globe.” Said Rajiv Shah, USaid administrator. “By doing so, we can increase the efficiency, sustainability and effectiveness of our work.”

“Grand Challenges Canada is proud to be working with our consortium partners, Canada’s International Research Centre and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to support this very important work in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Joseph L Rotman, chair of Grand Challenges Canada.

“It takes bold innovation of all types to make substantial changes in the health and well-being of women and infants,” Rotman added.

http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2011-11-22-pre-postnatal-care-for-mothers-in-kenya-nigeria-electronically-monitored