The death of new infants which was a recurring phenomena in the country is traced to the role of primary health care centres that are supposed to provide first line medication for pregnant women. In this piece by ELEOJO IDACHABA with agency reports, the Oyo state example is set in focus.
Expectant mothers in many parts of the country have different tales ranging from their experiences at the point of registration to the moment of delivery.
Investigation shows that while many government-funded primary healthcare centres provide surface medicare for the expected mothers and their babies, the secondary health centres offer a more comprehensive medicare where the primary healthcare centres cannot handle. A failure of this ladder often leads to deaths of infants in what is commonly referred to as stillbirth or premature delivery.
In many states of the country, therefore, it’s a different story depending on the level of funding provided by the government and the need of each patient.
Stakeholders in the health sector observe that reports of infant and maternal mortality rate have been a recurring decimal.
They also note that as regularly as it gets the attention of relevant government agencies, efforts made to tackle the menace have over the years either shown minimal result or not working at all.
A good example can be the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2016/2017 in Oyo state which indicates 42 per cent of new born mortality rate.
Startling revelations
The statistics showed further that the state is among the 15 states contributing to nearly 50 per cent new-born deaths in Nigeria and the third highest contributor to new-born mortality rate in the south western part of the country.
Worried by this development, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in partner with the state government made some efforts to save lives of children in most affected communities in the state.
Dr Adebola Hassan, UNICEF health specialist, Akure Field Office, says the global body would engage in various intervention programmes to assist the state in minimising the high prevalence of death of new born babies.
The Oyo state example
At a recent workshop in Ibadan entitled: ‘Improving Health Outcomes for Children in Oyo State through Accelerated Action for Impact’, Dr Hassan said with the interventions by UNICEF and the state government, the trend would change with time.
She, nonetheless, observed that many new born babies lose their lives to poor nutrition, improper breast-feeding, lack of immunisation and poor delivery system, among others.
She noted that Ibadan North-east, Ibarapa North and Saki West local government areas were among the six local governments in the state with the highest infant mortality and neo-natal death rate in the state.
As part of the intervention programme, Mr Mosudi Olaleye, a deputy director of programmes, National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Oyo said that the agency has already started community dialogues on promoting immunisation, exclusive breast-feeding and practices that eliminate neonatal deaths with the support of UNICEF.
He said, “The engagement of community leaders in household sensitisation and mobilisation impacted positively on patronage.
“Nursing mothers and pregnant women are promptly referred by community butt attendants and traditional birth attendants to approved health facilities for immunisation and other child health services.
“Sensitisation and mobilisation of nursing mothers and general community households have now become a continuous exercise through the field activities of community development association volunteers’’.
In her observation, Dr Khadijat Alarape, the nutrition officer, Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, said quarterly post-intervention review of NOA indicates an improved knowledge in the practice of exclusive breast-feeding to curb infant mortality rate in the community.
She added that the exclusive breast-feeding rate had increased from 30.4 per cent in 2013 to 49.5 per cent in the state in 2017 and that early initiation of breast-feeding has improved
During a field trip to Ibadan North-East Primary Healthcare Centre, medical personnel, pregnant women and community leaders commended UNICEF and state government for various interventions in saving lives of new born babies in the area.
Mrs Jolasinmi Adebola, chief community health extension worker, said that through various interventions such as counselling and awareness, the number of women who brought their kids for immunisation had increased.
Adebola said the intervention programmes had been having positive effects in minimising the number of new born deaths in the council area.
Similarly, Mr Ayobami Akinola, the assistant immunisation coaching officer for the local government area, said that the number of new born infants immunised on a monthly basis had increased from 1,701 to 1,926 due health interventions.
He said women were being taught on proper immunisation, exclusive breast-feeding and post-natal services, among others.
He also said that ward development community were also established to disabuse the minds of people on negative belief on immunisation.
Akinola said that the primary healthcare centre had solar refrigerator and cold boxes to preserve the vaccines before distribution to other health centres in the area.
Observers in the local government noted that the interventions are unique in involving the community, religious and traditional leaders and health workers, among others in the scheme of things.
Akinola explained that community leaders introduced house-to-house mobilisation and sensitisation in the communities while the health workers embarked on constant outreach programmes even in the hard- to-reach areas in the state.
“Community members now come together to mobilise women to use health facilities at no cost,’’ he said.
Some concerned grassroots dwellers in the area say there is no doubt that the various interventions by UNICEF and Oyo state government will continue to minimise infant mortality and neo-natal death in the state.
