Women
Measures To Check Maternal Mortality
Madam Eunice Ifejika, 75, recalls in anguish the death of her 25-year-old daughter during childbirth about 12 years ago.
“I saw my daughter die as nobody could help the situation because there was no medical expert around. The traditional birth attendant did her best but all to no avail.
“I lost her and the child amidst tears and pains. I hope that one day, Uguta women will have trained midwives and doctors in their hospitals to deliver them of their babies without problems,” she says.
Ifejika, a native of Uguta, near Ashaka in Delta State, is one of several mothers, who lost their children as a result of complications during childbirth.
Today, the old woman’s expectation may not be far-fetched after all, as the Federal Government is already executing the Midwifery Service Scheme (MSS), identified as a sure way to reduce maternal mortality rate in Nigeria.
Health analysts and various international organisations rate Nigeria as one of several nations with a high rate of maternal mortality. They insist that all stakeholders in the health sector needed to be carried along in the new scheme.
In fact, available statistics indicate that Nigeria is second to India in maternal mortality ratio of 1100 per 100,000 live births.
By February, the Federal Government had employed and trained 2,488 midwives in life-saving skills and integrated management of childhood illnesses under the MSS.
Showing concern about Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate, Ms Agathe Lawson, Resident Representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said recently that the country needed to strengthen its efforts on the overall prevention of maternal mortality.
She, therefore, called for proper training of midwives, to ensure effective coverage of all aspects of primary health care.
Dr Muhammed Pate, the Executive Secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), also recently interacted with principals of selected schools of midwifery, to explore ways of boosting the training of midwives under MSS.
“The scheme became necessary to address the poor maternal and child health schemes and get Nigeria on track toward the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),” Pate said.
He said that the agency would institutionalise functional mentoring mechanisms to ensure that midwives were always active at their duty posts, while their training would be intensified.
Pate described MSS as a home-grown health programme, aimed at enabling mothers, newborn babies and other children to benefit from quality health care.
To boost the scheme, he said, the Federal Government in April last April began linking 160 primary health care centres and 40 general hospitals across the country with Information Communication Technology (ICT).
“The centres and general hospitals are being connected with ICT to enable voice and data transmissions through internet connectivity being provided by Galaxy Backbone Plc,” he said.
Pate stressed that “pregnancy and childbirth should be things of joy to the citizens and not a matter of life and death for women.
“We will continue to strive to make pregnancy and childbirth safer, while improving maternal survival through functional primary health care system,” he said.
The MSS, according to Pate, is being funded by the MDGs/Diagnosis-related Group, under which 163 general hospitals have been earmarked to serve as referral hospitals, as part of efforts toward enhancing primary health care.
He said that a Ward Development Committee had been formed under the scheme, adding that plans were also underway to initiate health interventions through mobile telephony.
At a recent ceremony where NPHCDA signed a memorandum of understanding with UNFPA, Pate appraised the success of the MSS so far and concluded that it had greatly improved the utilisation of primary health care facilities nationwide.
He said that reports from the agency’s field staff, partners and the secretariat of the Governors’ Forum attested to such improvements.
‘‘In July for example, about 54,000 women attended ante-natal care at the MSS facilities nationwide and the number will continue to rise.
“I was in Kebbi recently; you could find the midwives physically there at the centres and hospitals. They had been there for six months and they are actually delivering services.
“In one local government, about 160 women had accessed the facilities provided, whereas previous records showed only 20 women did so during the corresponding period,” he said.
Under the NPHCDA-UNFPA partnership, it is expected that the UN agency will complement government’s efforts at sourcing inputs.
Lawson gave the assurance that UNFPA would train doctors on extended life-saving skills at referral sites under the collaboration.
The Chief Matron of Bauchi Urban Maternity, Hajiya Laraba Mohammed, is among several health workers who lauded the MSS.
She expressed satisfaction with the increased number of expectant mothers who
attended ante-natal clinic at the Bauchi Urban Maternity Clinic in the Bauchi metropolis, saying that the daily average stood at 600 women.
The figure, she pointed out, sharply contrasted with past record of 300 expectant mothers, attributing the increase to sustained enlightenment campaigns on the importance of ante-natal care for expectant mothers.
“Because of the increase in number of pregnant women, we now run ante-natal clinics on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on weekly basis,” she added.
Laraba called on men to encourage their wives to attend ante-natal clinics and to ensure that they went to hospital for child delivery, so as “to reduce the high rate of maternal mortality in the state’’
A former Minister for Health, Prof. Babatunde Oshotimehin, conceded that the 2,488 midwives deployed under MSS were not enough, adding, however, that the scheme needed to start from somewhere.
Pate, however, disclosed that the Federal Government recently increased the number of midwives to 4,000, with additional 1,000 community health workers in 1,000 primary health care centres.
Observers say that these measures are quite salutary because they will appreciably reduce the incidence of maternal mortality in the country.
Oshotimehim also applauded the success of the scheme but sought greater support from state governments, saying that midwives should be encouraged to have direct communication with the communities to educate them on the importance of sanitation.
“The MSS is a pioneer programme in the country and if the funds allocated to it are properly used, the aims would be achieved,” he said.
Pate admitted that the tasks ahead were quite enormous but pledged his agency’s readiness to make a difference in maternal and child health care delivery in Nigeria through the scheme and other initiatives.
Health analysts expect that more women will no longer patronise unskilled traditional birth attendants but avail themselves of the services rendered under the MSS, with a view to attaining a significant reduction in maternal mortality in the country.
Ofili writes for NAN.
Franca Ofili
IVY-K Fashion by Igiebor Daddy Lucky, a Nigerian-born designer now based in the UK, has launched the latest menswear line, Dapper Man.
One of the collection’s strengths is its classic, clean aesthetic. Dapper Man delivers sharp, structured suits in a timeless black and white color scheme that exudes a sense of luxury and professionalism. The use of high-quality fabrics like wool and silk ensures that the suits not only look high-end but also feel luxurious to the wearer. The designer’s focus on detail is evident in the meticulous tailoring, with fitted blazers and crisp trousers forming the foundation of the collection.
Where IVY-K Fashion shines is in the subtle yet elegant touches. The inclusion of beads as embellishments on lapels and cuffs adds a unique flair, blending traditional craft with modern tailoring. This nod to African heritage gives the collection a distinct identity, offering something more personal and culturally significant than your standard menswear line.
However, despite the elegance of the Dapper Man collection, there is a lingering sense of missed opportunity. The black-and-white color palette, while classic, feels overly safe. In a fashion landscape where bold colors and daring patterns often make the strongest impact, the collection could benefit from incorporating more vibrant hues or experimenting with unconventional fabrics. Pushing the envelope with color or texture could elevate these designs from simply elegant to truly memorable.
In addition, while the tailoring of the blazers and trousers is immaculate, the collection lacks a sense of playfulness or modern edge that many contemporary menswear lines are embracing. The suits are undoubtedly stylish, but the collection as a whole leans heavily on tradition. Experimenting with asymmetrical cuts, bold patterns, or even layering could add an exciting dimension to Dapper Man. The challenge is to maintain the sleek sophistication of the collection while infusing it with a fresh, innovative spirit.
Another area that could use improvement is the overall cohesion of the collection. While the suits are well-crafted, there is a feeling of repetition across the pieces. More variation in design, such as different lapel styles, pocket configurations, or even bolder accessories, would give the collection greater diversity and visual interest.
In conclusion, Dapper Man by Igiebor Daddy Lucky showcases the designer’s strong grasp of classic tailoring and elegant design, but to truly capture the attention of a broader audience, IVY-K Fashion would benefit from more daring choices. By infusing the collection with bold colors, unexpected textures, and a more modern edge, Dapper Man could move from a well-crafted line to a trendsetting force in men’s fashion. With such a solid foundation, there’s no doubt that Igiebor Daddy Lucky has the potential to lead his brand toward greater heights
The trend of indecent dressing all in the name of fashion is fast becoming a norm in our generation and society at large. Most married women embrace this fashion as competition with single ladies.
Different scholars have given an in depth insight about dressing as a tool of communication. Non-verbal communication has been asserted as the communication between people by the means of signs or symbols. It conveys what we wish to disseminate to the public as either intentionally or not.
According to Paul Ekman and Michael Argyle, communication is carried out through what has been classified as “Presentational Code”. He listed nine codes of non-verbal communication, as body contact, facial expression, gestures, postures, eye movement, proximity, orientation, head nods and appearance.
This, being stated, married and single ladies should understand that their mode of dressing is communicative be it directly or indirectly as such body parts we call “private” are now being made public because of the trends or wearing of transparent dresses and this in turn calls on the attention of men who are weak and prone to illicit thoughts thus, resulting to most rape cases in our society.
This indecent dressing by most ladies has denied many their future husbands. The truth is that a man is attracted to his kind; his desires in marriage. It is often asserted that decency and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder, yet, in trending times of this 21st century, dress code and fashion in nudity form is gaining popularity.
This has become complicated as most men tend to toggle between their emotions (lust) and sanity (rationality) in terms of marriage, thereby setting a wrong foundation upon which most marriages are consummated.
On the other hand, most married women have embraced the trend of indecent dressing nipping it on the state of it being the choice dressing, approved by their spouses, leaving society with the question of what “responsible” man would prefer that the secrecy of the benefit of his marital vow has become the centre of attraction and viewership by the general public.
Hence, communicating with their dressing gas given licence to every male gender who is interested or attracted to what they see to make unsolicited sexual passes at them, which might be considered embarrassing.
At this juncture, it is important to state that ladies should dress decently knowing that they are the epitome of nation-building, they are nation-builders, character moulders and pacesetters not just in the lives of their families but to the society at large.
In most occasions, there are no clear border lines between the married women and the single ladies because of the rate of scanty dressing which has close the gap of differences.
Women and girls should embrace this call awakening to decent mode of dressing. Dresses that are meant to be worn indoors should remain indoors.
It is worrisome to see ladies wear shorts that are supposed to be worn in the living room on the streets without shame. This is an awakening call to our ladies, married and singles that the opposite sex do not expose their private body parts for the public. Sometimes, the ladies go about in the streets without wearing brazziers as to showcase their nipples.
The society should be sanitised of the menace of indecent dressing that is lurking and taking over the entire nooks and crannies of the society and the nation at large.
Let it be known that he or she is addressed in the manner he or she is dressed. There may be no room for a second impression. To the single ladies, your dressing decently will not stop you from meeting your Mr Right rather, it will increase your stake and place you on the list of most valued women in the society.
Dressing speaks louder than words.
Kate Chisom Isiocha
Isiocha is an OND final year student of Temple Gate Polytechnic.
