Maternal fatality, stillborn rates reduced by 15% ― NGO

WELLBEING Foundation Africa, an NGO, says its Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (EmONC) training has resulted in a 15 per cent reduction in the maternal case fatality rate and 38 per cent reduction in the stillbirth rate across Nigeria.

Mrs Toyin Saraki, the EmONC Founder, who made this known on Friday in Lagos, said the project, being implemented in some health facilities, is meant to improve the health outcome for mothers and their newborns.

“This programme, along with our Mamacare and Mamacare+N programme, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund, is part of our commitment to increasing the number of skilled healthcare workers in line with the WHO recommendations.

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“The landmark adoption by the 8th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of the one per cent Consolidated Revenue Fund for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) was a historic move toward achieving universal health coverage,” Saraki said.

The founder, however, said that the country was still far from realising the goal, saying it would require significant political commitment.

Saraki said that commitment would only be successful with adequate investment in primary healthcare.

“I warmly welcomed the adoption of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in healthcare facilities at the 144th World Health Organisation Board Meetings.

“It recognises that Primary Health Care is a cornerstone of a sustainable health system for effective universal health coverage.

“This justifies the foundation’s efforts to improve hygiene in health facilities, reducing the incidence of maternal sepsis, the second-highest causative factor of morbidity nationally.

“As a strong Primary Health Care system is essential for safe WASH conditions in Nigeria, so also, must form the backbone of efforts to improve health outcomes for women, children and adolescents throughout the country.

“Also, provide resilience across the raft of WHO normative functions.”

Earlier, in a statement, Saraki welcomed Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General back to the country.

She said that Ghebreyesus, who would be addressing an annual Entrepreneurship Forum in Abuja, visits Nigeria with the country on the verge of being declared free from the blight of polio.

The founder said that the organisation had long campaigned for the eradication of polio and urged for the issue to be understood within the context of health security in Nigeria.