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
Looking good is some women’s business. Looking beautiful for some persons is more important than food. Some prefer to appear trendy instead of attending to household pressure.
Beauty they say is in the eye of the beholder. Every woman by creature is beautiful but some persons feel that the way they were created is not enough. They feel that perhaps the creator should have added more features to their physic.
Artificial beauty did not start today, it has been there as far as man exists. From time to time, there has been one form of additional make-up or the other that women especially, must add to their natural look.
When you look at some of our elders, especially women, you notice certain drills or symbols (tattoo) on their skins, mostly on their hands and legs, in form of designs with dark prints. That is a form of artificial beauty. These days, some young ones still use such to beautify themselves.
It is not only women that are involved in artificial beauty, some young men also have likeness for it. It is common nowadays to see younger male folks spend money to pierce their ears to wear earrings. They also style their hairs in various forms to appear like women so as to look more handsome. This no doubt costs them more money than being in their natural look.
Every generation grows with it’s own new systems, items, styles of artificial beauty. Before now, African women generally and Nigeria in particular had their hair in natural form.
As civilisation and westernisation continued, Nigerian women started copying, for instance, perming of their hair to look like the White women. They started using western-produced chemicals (relaxers) to make their hairs look sleepy and smoother.
Nigerian women used to plate their hair with black thread or go with their hair well cut at low level. In terms of weaving, it was without attachment. The issue of women weaving hair with attachment came with civilisation. That is also a form of make-up.
The quest for extra beauty aside the way women were created has been from one generation to another.
Two or three decades ago, ladies used mascaras to darken and thicken their eyelashes. But in this 21st century, another system has evolved. Fixing of artificial eyelashes has become the order of the day.
In that case, it becomes difficult for them to scratch their eyes Incase of any itches. Some of their eyes turn reddish because of the touch.
There was a lady who was fixing her eyelashes in a salon, unfortunately, she got a phone call that her mother was late, as she started crying, it was difficult for her to clean the tears that were flowing down her cheeks.
The reason was for fear of the eye lashes falling off while cleaning the tears off her eyes.
One funny thing about fixing of artificial eyelashes is that some persons cannot close their eyes properly. The beauty they have in mind before fixing is not really achieved as their look become something anybody cannot behold. Both the shape of their eyes and facial outlook automatically change. One begins to wonder if that is the beauty they are looking for. Instead of looking beautiful, the reverse becomes the case.
As years go by, artificial beauty becomes more sophisticated in the society. The price and cost for looking more beautiful than women were created naturally becomes higher than their natural look.
The cosmetic industry becomes one of the most viable industries worldwide because some women desire artificial beauty. Some engage in cosmetic surgery to alter any part of their body which does not give them pleasure especially the fatty parts. Some go for surgery to make their slacked breasts to return to their original shapes as well as those with big tummies.
It is interesting to note that currently, Nigerian ladies have started to give preference to their natural hair and this is attracting a lot of admiration for them. Many prefer that natural look with low cuts. With that, the cost of maintaining the hair by ladies is reduced.
I think this is commendable as it will save the women from the negative effect of chemical used in manufacturing hair relaxers.
It is also common to see ladies on low cut hairs that are either light complexion, red and other funny colours.
People have been addicted to artificial beauty to the extent that they insert certain substances into their bodies to make them become more robust and attractive to their admirers.
I don’t understand why we should be crazy about adding more to our natural look. Every woman wants to look attractive in a packaged manner without recognising the implications of artificial beauty and make-up.
In fact, women’s quest for beauty has taken different dimension as they tend to appear trendy at home, in offices and as they go about their businesses. That is just to feel belonged and achieve self-esteem.
I recall a few years back, my pastor who trained as an Engineer advised women against the use of lipstick. He said that one of the chemical components of lipstick is lead and that it is dangerous to humans. Many women may not understand the reality of what he said until it manifests.
I think those who are naturally beautiful should not go for artificial make-ups. They should be satisfied with the work of their creator. Women should not continue to paint their faces to look like masquerades and should not lose value due to artificial beauty.
It may interest you to know that persons who apply make-ups excessively are mocked instead of being admired. Make-ups can be applied lightly.
Fixing of nails is another business. After fixing nails, some women find it difficult to perform house cores. Washing their personal belongings becomes a problem. The artificial nails become so long and sophisticated to the extent that the bearer cannot handle objects properly. Those in that habit also find it difficult to eat food with the fingers.
There are people who feel they should have been born in certain colour but when the reverse is the case, they seek artificial make-up. Use of skin-toning cream and soap becomes the option for artificial beauty. This happens to the extent that the users start having dark spots on the skin. Blisters occur on their faces and legs.
Unfortunately, this is an era when there are different kinds of cancer affecting women especially. It becomes difficult to identify the kind of make-up that can be cancerous.
It is high time people had stopped following trend to the detriment of their health.
Ladies should not present themselves as laughing stock with unnecessary make-up as they can still be cherished in their natural outlook.
Eunice Choko – Kayode
Yearly, the girls are celebrated not just because they are girls, but because of their importance to families, society and the nation at large.
You will agree that when the girl-child comes into a family first, that family is blessed. The assistance she renders to the family can not be compared to that of the opposite sex.
The job she does in the home cuts across many duties. In the home, she takes care of her younger ones. She assists her mother in carrying out house chores. After her educational career and she obtains a job, she caters for her family even as she is married out. She takes care of her aged parents in her matrimonial home.
This same girl-child when given the right training and opportunities, will also train her offspring. Thus, “train a woman and you train a nation”. When women are at the helms of affairs, things are done better.
Celebrating the girl-child yearly is a call to parents, families, faith-based organisations, non-governmental organisations, governments at all levels, and all relevant organisations that have one or two things to do with the girls to continue to put in place policies that will enhance their well-being.
On a daily basis, the girl-child faces more challenges. Sometimes, she finds it difficult to resist dangers. The issue of rape, violence of any form, sexual harassment, intimidation, discrimination in families about who should go to school or not.
The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Rivers State chapter, called on the government, the state and local assembly to enact laws that criminalise any act capable of impeding the education of the girl-child.
The association made the call as it joined the world to commemorate the International Day of the Girl-Child, in Port Harcourt, Friday.
NAWOJ also appealed to ministry of education and other relevant authorities to prevail against hawking during school hours, as well as call for an end to early girl-child marriage.
The state chairperson of the association, Susan Serekara-Nwikhana, who spoke in an interview with the press said: “We are calling on the Rivers State government, the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Local Assembly to enact laws that criminalise any act capable of impeding on the education of the girl child.
“We also want the government to throw her weight against any girl-child found hawking on the streets during school hours as this will serve as deterrent to any parent or ward that is nursing such idea.
“There is need for every girl-child to be properly educated as this impact generally on the society positively.”
Speaking on the 2024 theme which is, “Girls’ Vision For The Future”, NAWOJ chair stressed the need for parents to prioritise the education of their daughters.
She explained that quality education was key to an assured future for every girl-child, stressing that education unlocks doors of possibilities and the I-can spirit.
Her words: “Remember, you put an end to blind submission when you train the girl-child. Today, many girl-children have been abandoned and are left to pass through harrowing conditions that they never dreamt of due to lack of education.
“Do you know that the girl child suffer most as she is confronted with lots of challenges from the day she was born into a home; siblings rivalry on who should go to school and who should not, a decision that most parents take that negatively impedes on the girl-child and to the day she steps into her husband’s house, especially with a wicked mother-in-law or father-in-law.”
She noted that only those female children privileged to acquire quality education can surmount the challenges that confront them on their way to greatness.
“As we all know that the role of every woman in the society cannot be over-emphasised as such without education given to the gild-child, the society will raise dysfunctional women, who are abused, used and abandoned”, she emphasised.
The NAWOJ chair insisted: “When the girl-child is exposed to education, you have given her opportunity to endless possibilities, thereby putting an end to subjugation and blind subservient”.
As Rivers State joins the rest of the world to mark the 2024 International Day of the Girl-Child, a non-profit organisation, Multi Stakeholders Committee for the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence in Rivers State has called for policies to protect the girl- child against gender-based violence.
It also urged for massive investment in the development of the girl-child.
The group said this in a statement to mark the day.
According to the statement signed by the coordinator of the group, who is also the Head of the Public Defender, Rivers State, Evelyn Membere Asimiea, time has come for the society to stand together and ensure that no girl is left behind.
She also said the celebration which has as its theme, “Girls, Vision For The Future”, is a call to action not just to acknowledge the challenges girls face but to actively empower them.
According to the statement, as we join the global community to celebrate the International Day of the Girl-Child, we are reminded of the powerful potential of every girl and the urgent need to invest in their rights. This year’s theme, “Girls: Vision For The Future,” calls us to action not just to acknowledge the challenges girls face but to actively empower them as leaders of tomorrow.
Mrs Asimiea said time has come for stakeholders including government, civil society organisations, families and individuals to stand together and ensure that no girl is left behind.
“As Coordinator of the Multi-Stakeholders Committee for the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence and Head of the Office of the Public Defender, Rivers State, I wish to highlight that our girls are at the heart of building strong, safe, and prosperous communities. Yet, they are often the most vulnerable to violence, discrimination, and neglect. It is time for all of us—government, civil society, families, and individuals—to stand together and ensure that no girl is left behind”, the statement said.
She also called for massive investment in the girl- child, adding: “Investing in girls means ensuring they have access to quality education, healthcare, and equal opportunities.
“It means protecting them from all forms of gender-based violence (GBV), child marriage, and harmful traditional practices.
“When we invest in the safety, education, and empowerment of girls, we are investing in the future of our state and nation.”
It reiterated its commitment to continue to advocate for the right of the girl child, stressing that the group is working tirelessly to advocate for the rights of girls and the women.
“We are working tirelessly to advocate for the rights of girls and women, providing legal support to survivors of GBV, and pushing for stronger policies to prevent violence and protect their futures.
“But we cannot do it alone. We need every family, every community leader, and every citizen to take responsibility for the well-being of our girls.
“On this day, I urge you all to commit to creating a world where every girl feels safe, valued, and empowered to lead. Together, we can build a Rivers State where girls’ rights are protected, and their leadership flourishes, for the future of all of us”, the coordinator said.
As we mark this year’s girl-child day, women groups all over the world should as a matter of fact, continue to create awareness on the need to develop them in the right way so that they can showcase their potentials.
Eunice Choko-Kayode