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Accessing healthcare: An arduous journey for pregnant women in northwest Nigeria

Published

10 months ago

March 5, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Accessing healthcare: An arduous journey for pregnant women in northwest Nigeria

By: Michael Mike

In the bustling emergency ward of Jahun General Hospital’s maternity department, the rhythm of activity beats with urgency and determination, like a pulse in the air. In this hospital, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) collaborates with the Jigawa state Ministry of Health to provide comprehensive emergency obstetrics and newborn care and fistula care. Since commencing services in 2008, MSF teams have assisted 90,000 deliveries.
Nigeria is the third country in the world, after South Sudan and Chad, where a woman is most likely to die giving birth, according to the World Health Organisation. With an average of more than 1,000 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births each year, Nigeria is far from the global target for 2030 of less than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, as set under the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Maternal mortality rates far exceed the country average in northern Nigeria, where more than half of the country’s estimated 200 million people live. In Jigawa state, the most significant factor is the limited access pregnant women have to antenatal care and delivery care for complications in childbirth, which frequently occur.
Unity Enuebuke, MSF Nursing Activity Manager, has been working in Jahun General Hospital for more than 10 years. “We see a lot of women with serious complications, with the most common ones being anaemia, haemorrhage and eclampsia,” she explains. The high number of patients means the maternity wards are often fully occupied, if not over capacity. Unity says, “We regularly have up to two women sharing a bed, and depending on the type of complications we see, things can escalate very quickly.”
Ramatu
Ramatu, a mother of two, suffered life-threatening eclampsia—seizures due to high blood pressure—when she delivered her first baby in Jahun hospital. This is her second time here, overcoming the considerable distance from home. “I live five hours away from Jahun General Hospital. There is no hospital where I live, and the closest one does not open at night,” she explains. In Jigawa state, many of the estimated 749 primary healthcare centres do not have the drugs, healthcare workers and medical equipment to serve the thousands of women of childbearing age, despite efforts from public health authorities, the current healthcare infrastructure does not come close to meeting the needs of the population.
This dire situation leaves pregnant women who want to attend a healthcare facility with limited choices such as giving birth at home, and if complications arise, embarking on a treacherous journey to try to reach one that is functioning.
It is also not enough that healthcare facilities are available, they must also be affordable. The economic reality in this region, worsened by soaring inflation rates, makes it difficult for people to afford hospital fees, drugs or even transportation to health facilities.
The result is that women become hesitant to go to the hospital, preferring to give birth at home with the help of more affordable traditional birth attendants, hence increasing the risk of experiencing complications.
Khadijah
Women have given birth at home for centuries, but mother’s and baby’s survival can hinge on preparing and planning for managing complications, which may also occur without warning. In Jigawa state, health professionals and facility-based delivery rates remain low with up to around 80% of deliveries occurring at home.
Nurse Unity says, “Most times, family members don’t bring the mother to the hospital until they see that the baby is not coming out and the mother herself is having seizures.”
Khadijah, a 58-year-old traditional birth attendant in Aujara community, Jigawa state, understands the value of hospital care if she can’t manage a complication, but has experienced women’s hesitation firsthand. “Some women take my advice when I say they should go to the hospital, while some refuse to go to the hospital because they say that they are used to giving birth at home.”
In many communities in Jigawa state, pregnant women often require permission from their husband or mothers-in-law to visit hospital. This practice is compounded by a trend of early marriage, at an age when women are not fully informed about pregnancy and are not physically ready to carry a child.
Khadijah explains that for some, “it is their husbands that prevent them from going to the hospital. Some men don’t see the relevance of antenatal care, while others don’t want another man to treat their wives.”
1.

What needs to be done?
To tackle maternal mortality, a multitude of factors must be addressed. State authorities and international organisations must scale up their activities and increase funding to healthcare in the region, ensuring that budget allocations for primary healthcare centres are properly utilised and thorough planning and strict implementation processes are in place. In 2023, MSF teams assisted 15,754 deliveries, performed 1,911 caesarean sections and completed 43,785 antenatal consultations. Yet, it is still a drop in the ocean when looking at the needs of women in Jigawa state.
Primary healthcare facilities, which are often the first point where pregnant women seek healthcare, need to be equipped with trained personnel, equipment and resources to manage childbirth-related complications. “Eighty two percent of the cases we receive at Jahun General Hospital are complicated cases that could have been prevented at the primary healthcare level.” says Abdulwahab Mohamed, MSF medical coordinator. “Women, especially those of childbearing age, also have to be informed about their health and wellbeing through health empowerment programmes led by state authorities or other health stakeholders”.
Pregnant women must be encouraged to go for antenatal care where they can be informed about their pregnancy journey and what to expect. Efforts must be made to mitigate cultural practices that hinder women from seeking care in medical facilities. Women should be allowed agency and given freedom to make decisions for their health.
MSF supports the Jigawa state Ministry of Health in providing comprehensive emergency obstetrics and newborn care. Our support started with vesicovaginal fistula repair in 2008, however, the project evolved into a 161-bed facility to care for pregnant women and newborns experiencing complications. MSF teams also provide maternal and neonatal healthcare in the states of Kano, Benue, Cross River, Zamfara and will open a large maternity hospital in Maiduguri in June 2024.

Accessing healthcare: An arduous journey for pregnant women in northwest Nigeria

News

I Am Pained Over Loss of Lives in Maitama, Okija Stampedes, says Women Affairs Minister

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

I Am Pained Over Loss of Lives in Maitama, Okija Stampedes, says Women Affairs Minister

*says incidences avoidable

By: Michael Mike

Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has lamented the losses of lives in Maitama, Abuja and at Okija, in Anambra State during food distribution drives by private institutions aimed at supporting the people as they celebrate the festive season.

The minister expressed deep grief describing the gestures of the donors as laudable, but condemned the crowd management approaches adopted.

In a statement on Saturday by her media team, Sulaiman-Ibrahim stated that they were avoidable incidences, and prayed for the repose of their lives, and speedy recovery for those injured.

While condoling with with the FCT Minister, His Excellency Nyesom Wike and the Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, the minister called for thorough investigations into the incidences in order to forestall future occurrences.

The minister emphasized the need for crowd assessment which involves estimating the number of recipients and planning accordingly as a pre-event measure.

She also admonished Nigerians who are planning similar distributions to choose spacious, open areas with minimal obstacles, adding that distributions should be scheduled at a time when the crowd is likely to be smaller.

The statement reads in parts : “I am deeply pained by the news of stampedes in Abuja and Okija in Anambra State today. As a mother, I understand the pain of loosing anyone in death under such horrible circumstances. I join the families and governments of the FCT and Anambra State in this distressing moments, and feels the pains of those directly affected.

“These incidences are avoidable if adequate safety measures are put in place. I hereby call on security agencies to investigate these cases in order to forestall future occurrences.

“By implementing the above measures, the risk of stampedes during food distribution would be minimized.

I Am Pained Over Loss of Lives in Maitama, Okija Stampedes, says Women Affairs Minister

News

Christmas: Gov Zulum Provides Free Transport To 710 Borno Non Indigenes

Published

2 days ago

December 21, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Christmas: Gov Zulum Provides Free Transport To 710 Borno Non Indigenes

By Francis Okoye

Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum has provided free transport to 710 non Indigenes living in the State to enable them travel home to celebrate the Christmas and the new year with their loved ones .

The free transport scheme which was flagg-off on Saturday at the Borno Express Bus Terminus saw about 285 persons traveling to the various parts of the country, of which the second batch of 285 would travel on Sunday, while the remaining ones would be leaving the State on Monday.

Speaking during the flagging off, the Chairman/ Zonal Coordinator Ohaneze All Progressives Congress ( APC ) support group, Chief Ugochukwu Egwidike , said each of the 710 travellers apart from the free transport scheme would receive a cash sum of N50,000, while about 250 widows who did not travel would be given N50,000 each to celebrate the Christmas.

Egwudike added that Governor Zulum has made significant strides in providing succour to the needy with various initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty and promoting social welfare, like very subsidised transportation services within Maiduguri metropolitan council, as well as sponsoring many Christians to Jerusalem for pilgrimage.

” Apart from enhanced reduced transportation in city, Governor Zulum’s administration has been offering free transport scheme for all the non Indigenes in every yulitide season like this to connect any part of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, with a total of 710 beneficiaries reached annually, thus bridging the gap in mobility and connectivity, and promoting economic growth and development.

“He provided emergency aid and resources to the non Indigenes affected by the recent flood incident in the State and thus showcased his ability to respond to crisis and prioritise the wellbeing of all residents. The Governor has been providing this free transport scheme to non Indigenes from 2020 to date, ” Egwudike said.

He said the Governor’s gestures demonstrate his dedication to creating a more just and equitable society where all the residents regardless of the their ethnic, religious and party affiliation, have access to resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

The Oba of Yorubas in Borno State, Alhaji Hassan Alao Yusuf who witnessed the flagging off ceremony in company of other leaders, appreciated Zulum for the gesture ,saying that the transport scheme to the non Indigenes has depicted the detribalised nature of the Governor.

” He doesn’t care about your religion, tribe or party affiliation. You can see that everyone of the travellers are happy with the Governor’s gestures. Many of them due to the present economic hardship wouldn’t have made the journey to go home and celebrate with their loved ones if not for the free transport scheme,” said Alhaji Yusuf.

In the same vein, a member of the board of trustees of Igbo Welfare Association/ Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Borno State, Pharm Napoleon Egbonu , commended Governor Zulum for his continuous support to the non Indigenes in the State,

Pharm Egbonu noted that the gesture of the Governor to the non Indigenes in the State is a unifying factor that needed to to be emulated by other Governors in building a trust and unity among ethic groups across the country.

Also speaking, the General Manager, Borno Express Transport Corperation, Grema Zanna, appreciated Governor Zulum for the gesture, saying the what the Governor has done is part of his programme of alleviating the issue of high cost transportation to the residents of the State.

He noted that those that are benefiting from the free transport scheme notwithstanding being non Indigenes have been contributing to the economic development of the State, and are part and parcel of Borno State

Christmas: Gov Zulum Provides Free Transport To 710 Borno Non Indigenes

News

Buni explains achievements in 2024

Published

2 days ago

December 21, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Buni explains achievements in 2024

By: Yahaya Wakili

Yobe state Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, CON, has said in 2024, our effort in the health sector led the Yobe state government to win 500,000 US dollars in the primary healthcare leadership challenge for states in the North-East sub-region.

We have achieved 100% payment of hazard allowances and adjustment of CONMESS and CONHESS salary scales to healthcare workers, recruited 311 new members of staff, including doctors, nurses, and other cadres, and ensured the continuation of our free dialysis program for kidney patients.

Governor Buni disclosed this while addressing journalists at the End-Of-Year 2024 Media briefing at Cedars Recreation Center Damaturu, the state capital.

The governor, who was represented by his ever-loyal deputy, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana Wazirin Fune, also said, apart from the achievements recorded in the education sector, such as the building of many model and mega schools, the award of scholarships to students undergoing various courses within and outside the country, ministries, departments, and the agencies (MDAs) legacies, which are not mentioned in the speech.

Idi Barde Gubana, who read the speech of the governor who was attending another very important meeting of the Northern Governor’s Forum in Kaduna, revealed that, “in the year under review, through robust and prudent management of score resources, we were able to turn around the fortunes of our people by making significant investments in education, agriculture, healthcare, and wealth and job creation, and road construction, among others.

In the recent Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) empowerment program we unveiled, a total of 52,997 households and 201,300 individuals were reached with a total sum of #3,907,387,056, while 456,205 other households with a total of 974,220 individuals were reached with food and non-food items support.

He said, “In the area of agriculture and food security, through our agricultural revitalization program, the sum of #15.3 billion was spent to provide farm implements and inputs to 5,340 farmers across the 178 wards of the state. The state government is also spending $1.7 billion in the procurement of assorted grains for our strategic grains reserve.

“Similarly, in the area of wealth creation, a lot was also achieved. These include the procurement of 475 modern sewing and embroidery machines, procurement and distribution of 350 disability tricycles, procurement of 712 nos. of cows and bulls to livestock farmers, provision of cash grants of #150,000 to 3,560 micro and small entrepreneurs across 178 wards of the state, and provision of cash support of #20,000 to 4,800 unemployed youths.

In addition, training of 85 youths on shoemaking and provision of start-up kits, distribution of 500 units of deep freezers to women in the ice-making business, procurement of 1,780 smoking stoves, 1,780 frying pans, 1,780 frying spoons, 1,780 sieving basins, and 1,780 bowls. Procurement of 100 units of pick-up tricycles for distribution to beneficiaries and the procurement and distribution of 340 work bulls, 170 ox-drawn carts, and 170 ox-drawn plows, among others.

In his welcome address, Yobe State Commissioner of Home Affairs, Information, and Culture, Hon. Abdullahi Bego, said this is the first time in as many years that His Excellency himself would avail us of the opportunity to address this kind of end-of-year gathering.

He said Yobe state, and indeed Nigeria as a whole, cannot thrive and make any meaningful progress without peace and security, and the participation of all citizens requires that the media always focus attention on what brings the people together rather than what sets them apart.

“I am confident that with your support, the Yobe state government under the charismatic and indefatigable leadership of His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni CON, in the months and years ahead, will continue to reach even more milestones and make an even bigger impact in the lives of the people of the state, he said.

“On behalf of the management and staff of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Information, and Culture, I want to express my deepest gratitude to His Excellency, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON, Chiroman Gujba, ably represented by his ever-loyal deputy, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana Wazirin Fune, for sparing the time to address this distinguished gathering of our state’s press and media community.

Buni explains achievements in 2024