Increasing Midwives Access To Modern Training, Equipment & cEMONC
Kwara General Electricals (GE) International
According to the World Health Organisation, the Maternal Mortality Rate of Nigeria is 814 (per 100,000 live births) with evidence suggesting that the increase in rates is due to three common signs of delay; in making the decision to seek maternal healthcare, in locating and arriving at a medical facility, and in receiving skilled pregnancy care when a woman gets to the health facility. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s quest to continue contributing to global goals of zero maternal and neonatal deaths by 2030, has been further powered this month following the generous donation of eight VScan handheld ultrasound machines from the Nigerian division of the global diagnosis and treatmentmedical technology giantinnovator, General Electricals (GE) Healthcare. The high-tech portable ultrasound machines will contribute to WBFA’s progressive antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care pathway; a community-centred offering that daily commits to the early detection and subsequent diagnosis of women and neonates, in a bid to minimise adverse antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal complications. The donation from GE is set to further strengthen the Foundation’s community-centred care delivery efforts. This project will benefit both present and prospective frontliners, women of reproductive age and those ‘with child.
Programme Objectives
- Increasing Community Midwives Access to Medical Equipment in Nigeria’ - ultrasound scan machine donation set to strengthen Community Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) management
The following locations have been selected for the facilities:
Okelele PHC, Ilorin East LGA, Kwara State
Ajikobi Cottage Hospital, Ilorin West LGA, Kwara State
Lugbe PHC, Abuja Municipal Area Council FCT Abuja
Dafa PHC Kwali Municipal Area Council FCT Abuja
Karu PHC Abuja Municipal Area Council FCT Abuja
Oniru PHC Eti Osa LGA, Lagos State
Ijora Oloye PHC Apapa LGA Lagos State
Ijora Oloye PHC Apapa LGA Lagos State
Project Impact
On the 24th of September, 2021, the Kwara State office received 2 sets of scan machines from its donors These two machines have been successfully activated and branded. The facilities will be donated to the following locations in Kwara State: Okelele PHC and Cottage Hospital, Ajikobi.
Kwara WBFA Laerdal Global Health Working Partnership
In Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Maternal Mortality Rate is 814 (per 100,000 live births). The lifetime risk of a Nigerian woman dying during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum or post-abortion is 1 in 22, in contrast to the lifetime risk in developed countries estimated at 1 in 4900. Existing interventions could avert the majority of maternal and neonatal deaths; however, those women at greatest risk are least likely to have access to interventions delivered through the formal health care system. In Nigeria and many developing countries, most deliveries in rural areas and a significant number in urban areas are conducted at home without skilled attendance, circumstances which pose a high risk for both mothers and their neonates. 3 of the 7 million children born around the world die before their fifth birthday, dying in their first four weeks of life, with the second-highest figures of neonatal and infant mortality and morbidity being situated in Nigeria. Since 2013, as a member of the Every Newborn Action Plan ENAP, the WBFA is committed to advocacy and implementation towards promoting best practices in helping babies survive and helping mothers survive – areas in which Laerdal Global Health provides expert resources and tools. Since the establishment of Laerdal Global Health in 2010, Laerdal has been a dedicated member of the Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) alliance. Laerdal has developed a series of highly affordable simulators in support of the Helping Babies Survive and Helping Mothers Survive Programs.
The WBFA by the membership of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health CTC – CSO Group is well positioned, to expand the WBFA-Laerdal Working Partnership to secure Ministry of Health engagement to form a working group for planning, training and monitoring towards developing a national roll-out plan, for pre-service and in-service training, in both the public and private sector. The target is to demonstrate and provide learning materials & equipment at the time of training, to identify and support local leaders and champions, to establish low-dose, high-frequency refresher training, to establish facility-level quality improvement teams, to monitor performance, to establish a system for reporting and feedback, and to engage healthcare providers, families, and the broader community.
Project Objectives
- To increase access to Laerdal products for midwives and mothers in Nigeria
Project Impact
Using Laerdal Simulation models, procured through the Johnson and Johnson Grant, the WBFA and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine’s Centre For Maternal and Newborn Health has completed the training of 723 Healthcare providers, 72 Master trainers and continuing medical education coordinators, 12 midwife tutors, 70 managers and Healthcare practitioners. In addition, 10 hospitals with skills training rooms have been equipped.
It is estimated that 62,900 women and their newborns will derive continued benefit annually from quality improvement at the 51 supported health facilities, which include 10 skills laboratories and 2 state centres of excellence. The initiation of a national centre of excellence at Kwara State School of Nursing and Midwifery in May 2021, is expected to take pre-service quality improvement to a national scale, in conjunction with Nigeria Nursing and Midwifery Council.