Despite hurdles in recent months Global One’s maternal health project in Adamawa State, Nigeria has seen many successes. The facility has boasted a 79% increase in women using maternal health care within the state. And, with Global One’s close partnership with the Ministry of Health the project is set to reach more mothers in the community.
We began our PHC revival project in Adamawa state, Nigeria in 2015. The project aimed to provide medical supplies and refurbished equipment to one health centre within the state as well as basic obstetric care, to enable the PHC to perform key preventive maternal health screening for antenatal and postnatal periods, and skilled birth attendant services. The project saw the establishment of a delivery room, the recruitment of a doctor and nurse to provide maternal health services in the domains of ANC, a skilled birth attendant, and postpartum care. The project has begun to enhance the quality and quantity of maternal health services in a health centre in Nigeria.
At the beginning of the year we were met with a few hurdles. The funding donor of the project was unable to send the necessary pharmaceutical drugs for the project due to importation issues. This meant that the number of women expected to utilise the facility declined slighted because of this limited supply of drugs. Due to the women’s own inability to pay for drugs due to extreme poverty within the state, the project struggled to meet the needs of the community. This did not stop us however. Thanks to the project team’s close partnership with the state government the Ministry of Health was able to provide a substantial amount of the drugs needed for the facility.
Since this collaboration with the Ministry of Health the project has seen many successes and been well received by local community members. Because of Global One’s investment into the maternal healthcare project Adamawa state government renovated an abandoned facility in the community. This new maternal health centre has provided women with care for a number of maternal health procedures, neo-natal care and infant care through free consultations. Since the beginning of the project there has been a substantial increase in the number of women and children accessing these health services, and the facility now boasts a 0% death rate from maternal complications.
Since the beginning of the project there has been a decline in the number of complications during delivery and maternal deaths. Increasing the use of health facilities by pregnant women by 79% from September 2015 to December 2015. The projects intervention has contributed significantly to the utilisation of quality and reproductive health services in relation to maternal and new-born health services. These successes have been in part due to Global One’s creation of strong partnerships and collaboration between Global One and the Ministry of Health, which has ensured a political commitment from government authorities and the ability to assume maximum leverage. Despite a few hurdles, the Ministry of Health’s support and partnership with Global One alongside the fantastic support of those overseeing the project, has ensured that many mothers in Adamawa state shall have the support and facilities necessary for safe births and healthy babies.
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