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.