Expert counsels couples on how to reduce maternal mortalities
Child seeking couples have been advised to prepare adequately before getting pregnant to reduce mortality during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and post-abortion.
Pastor (Mrs) Folakemi Adekugbe, the Chief Executive Officer, Motherhood and l Child Survival Foundation, gave the advice at her Golden Jubilee birthday held at Alakia in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the birthday celebration, held in honour of Adekugbe, featured fundraising for the Motherhood Ultramodern Multi-purpose Women Centre (A.K.A Mom’s Place) of the foundation.
Adekugbe, also a reputable Nursing Officer, said that adequate preparation would reduce the lifetime risk of Nigerian women dying during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and post-abortion.
She said it was important that women and men seeking to have children should prepare adequately before they get pregnant and learn how to reduce maternal mortalities.
“Life is an inestimable value. It has no spare and hence, it must be preserved. Pregnancy is worth being thoroughly prepared for.
“I advise that all women should say no to unwanted pregnancy. Our young girls should practice Abstinence Toll Marriage (ATM).
“They should ensure that they have a regular source of income before marriage. They must ensure that their partners also have regular source of income before marriage,” the Nursing Officer said.
Adekugbe said that adequate child spacing would improve family health and economy, urging them to have a number of children they could conveniently cater for and also understand how to reduce maternal mortalities.
She said that adoption of birth control methods go a long way in helping couples to prevent unwanted pregnancies and associated complications.
“My experience in this organisation dates back to 2003 when I started health counselling and education in the Church, after which I started community outreaches.
“Then, we were checking blood pressure, weight and random blood glucose level of the participants and counselling them based on their test results,” she said.
Adekugbe narrated how they started the clinic base of the organisation in 2005 to concentrate on maternal and child healthcare.
Read Also: signs-of-fibroid-prolonged-abdominal-pain-heavy-bleeding
She said that within the last 17 years, they had screened over no fewer than five thousand people for HIV (HCT and PMTCT).
“We connected Society for Family Health (SFH) in 2008 and were supplied anti-malaria drugs, as well as numerous mosquito nets, which were distributed at various outreaches.
“No fewer than 700 women were booked for antenatal and 500 normal deliveries conducted.
“We have provided many free long lasting family planning methods and about 50 surgeries have been done at a reduced cost,” she said.
Adekugbe said that the organisation had also conducted regular outreaches, monthly pregnant women conferences and monthly meetings of the Agbebis (traditional birth attendants).
“My major concern for conducting outreaches is to educate women, youths and school pupils (everyone) on how to take responsibility for health improvement, prevention of diseases, disabilities and death.
“All over Africa, research has shown that the major cause of death of women is complications of pregnancy and pregnancy-related problems,” she said.
According to her, World Health Organisation (WHO) had put the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of Nigeria at 814 per 100,000 live births.
“The lifetime risk of a Nigerian woman dying during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and post-abortion is one in 22, in contrast to the lifetime risk in developed countries estimated at one in 4,900.”
She said current evidence suggested that high rate of maternal, as well as neonatal mortality in Nigeria, was linked to three forms of maternal delay proposed by Thaddeus and Marine.
Adekugbe said that such included delay in making decision to seek maternal healthcare, delay in arriving at a medical facility and delay in receiving skilled pregnancy care when the woman gets to the health facility.
She said that some studies have recommended improving access to skilled birth attendance, especially through better quality primary healthcare (PHC) in addressing the challenges associated with the three delays.
“However, in my personal experience, I have found out that most women that delay in seeking maternal and child healthcare do so as a result of financial constraints.
“This is because they and, or their partners, are unemployed or they are low income earners, yet they are pregnant. I have watched television campaigns about free healthcare in health centres.
“Unfortunately, when we got there, there were some compulsory bills to be paid, which made it impossible for many women to receive care,” she said.
Adekugbe said the foundation gets its funds through individual donations, low cost sales and services, adding that they incurred huge bills for rents and salaries.
She said that they had been unable to do as much as they desired due to shortage of funds, hence, the reason for raising funds.
“Securing a permanent site like the Ultramodern Multipurpose Women Centre will enable us to reach out to more Nigerians thereby empowering women and youths to take responsibility for their lives in order to reduce maternal and child morbidity, mortality and disability rates,” Adekugbe said.
