NGO partners Ondo to tackle maternal deaths, improve childbirth care

The Ondo State Government has partnered a Non-Governmental Organisation, Jhpiego Global to reduce maternal mortality and improve the health of mothers and newborns during and after childbirth.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Jhpiego, Dr Allyson Bear, disclosed this in Akure on Wednesday after a meeting on the Postpartum Haemorrhage project in Ondo State.

Bear said the organisation remained committed to promoting maternal survival across Africa through innovative interventions and partnerships with governments and other stakeholders.

She recalled that the project began in 2014 and was piloted in Ondo and Kebbi states, adding that it had shown how Jhpiego could work with state and national governments to strengthen healthcare delivery and improve maternal health outcomes.

Bear said: “In this particular case, we’re talking about maternal survival.

“We are making sure that our women, that our mothers are able to have a healthy pregnancy, have a healthy child, and Jhpiego is very proud to be a part of that, to be able to bring innovative and new practices to places like Ondo State, to be able to support efforts to reduce maternal mortality and make sure women thrive.”

She said Jhpiego had trained healthcare workers, ensured the availability of essential medicines and commodities in health facilities, and supported efforts aimed at improving maternal healthcare services.

According to her, the organisation has also renovated health facilities to create safer and more conducive environments for women seeking care during pregnancy and childbirth.

Bear added that Jhpiego would continue to work with governments and other stakeholders to ensure that no woman dies unnecessarily during childbirth.

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Special Adviser on Health Matters, Prof Simidele Odimayo, described Jhpiego as a valuable partner in tackling postpartum haemorrhage through implementation research.

He noted that postpartum haemorrhage remained a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in low-income countries.

Aiyedatiwa said the state government was committed to improving maternal health through its “OUR EASE” agenda, including efforts to strengthen the state’s health insurance scheme for workers in both the formal and informal sectors.

He said indigent women were being enrolled in the state’s “Abiyamo” health insurance scheme free of charge to ensure financial constraints do not stop them from accessing healthcare.

He said: “Dedicated phone numbers have been made available to the public to make calls and get help immediately to the nearest health facility.

“In combating the third delay, huge investments have been made in the health sector, as renovation and equipping of health facilities is currently ongoing while also recruiting different cadres of the health workforce.”

Aiyedatiwa added that retired doctors and nurses had also been re-engaged to bridge gaps in human resources within the state’s healthcare system.

Postpartum haemorrhage, which refers to excessive bleeding after childbirth, remains one of the leading causes of maternal deaths globally, accounting for about 70,000 deaths annually, according to the World Health Organisation.