Health experts explain that 1 in 4 maternal deaths are caused by pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, HIV, Malaria, and Obesity. These health conditions are usually aggravated by pregnancy. Other identified causes of maternal deaths include severe bleeding, pregnancy induced high blood pressure, infections, and abortion complications.
Information from UNICEF reveals that Nigeria loses about 2,300 under five year olds children and 145 women of child bearing age on a daily basis.
A study done by Friday Okonofua, a renowned professor of obstetrics and gynecology states that a woman’s chance of dying during pregnancy is placed at 1 in 42 in Africa, while in developed countries, 1 in 25,500. He adds that Sub-Saharan Africa also accounts for the lowest proportion of women attended by skilled birth attendants during delivery.
Underneath these alarming statistics is the pain of human tragedy, for families that have lost their children. This menace has far reaching adverse effects as it renders children motherless, thus depriving them of maternal care which is necessary for proper physiological and psychological development.
Maternal mortality refers to the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management. Maternal mortality still poses a threat to reproductive health across the globe, and till date, Africa accounts for 56% of recorded global maternal death, the highest proportion of global maternal mortality estimates.
Nigeria is challenged by socio-economic factors that contribute to maternal mortality and birth-related injuries, including ineffectual government, under-resourced hospitals and gender inequalities. Cultural issues such as pressure on girls to marry early and give birth to numerous children, preferences to deliver children at home and mistrust of family planning services are also factors that aid maternal death.
The aim of MDG5 is to reduce by three quarters between 1990 and 2015, the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to achieve universal access to reproductive health. With Nigeria having the second global highest infant and maternal death rates (with India being number 1), the government flung into action with the creation of the Integrated Maternal Newborn and Child Health strategy (IMNCH).
Maternal related deaths of mothers and newborns are preponderant in rural areas and among low income people. This is why governments must devote substantial resources towards making basic healthcare services available to their citizens especially among the deprived in rural communities or among those operating along the fringes of urban economies.
With 2015 gradually drawing to a close, there are efforts by organisations and governments to achieve MDG5, however, multinationals like Airtel Nigeria have since taken a firm stand in aiding maternal and child health in Nigeria. This they achieved in collaboration with the Millennium Villages Project (MVP), Pampaida.
The MVP, an initiative of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, is a science-based bottom-up approach to lifting rural villages out of the poverty trap that affects more than a billion people worldwide. The community-driven initiative currently operates in 12 sites in 10 sub-Saharan African countries where it tackles challenges related to health & nutrition, education, agriculture, livelihoods, gender equality and other vital issues.
MVP Pampaida is located at Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State. An aspect of the project that is especially noteworthy is the health intervention in which Airtel Nigeria played a significant role.
Airtel Nigeria began this move in 2009 with the setup of its base station in Kaduna to support the MVP’s robust health model. With its pledge to improve maternal and child health, the nation’s leading telco is providing bandwidth to aid the CHWs to improve the efficiency of their daily routine. This bandwidth helps to power the healthcare software known as ‘CommCare.’ The information collected by the health workers is stored on a smartphone and uploaded to a cloud server. This information is also received real time and can be accessed to get instantaneous feedback. This is made possible through the CommCare software powered by Airtel’s bandwidth.
Eyitayo Ojo, Assistant Team Leader/Health Coordinator at the MVP in Pampaida attested to the seamless mode of communication which Airtel’s CUG has enhanced for the health team. The 24 hours toll free line is another contribution of the leading telecoms operator, Airtel Nigeria, to the project.
As 2015 begins to wind down, corporations are still sourcing for different ways to achieve MDG 5 in order to safeguard the lives of women and children under five. And multinationals like Airtel Nigeria which have helped combat not only MDG 5 but also MDG 4, still pledges their unwavering commitment to battle maternal and infant mortality in Nigeria.
Kemi Ajumobi
