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… Over 1000 deaths out of every 100,000 live births recorded in Benue
From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
As part of measures to reduce maternal deaths resulting from Post Partum Hemorrhage (PPH), the NKST Reproductive Health Unit, Mkar, Benue State, has trained Community Health Extension Workers on the use of Non-pneumatic Anti Shock Garment (NASG).
NASG is a fit-for-purpose device that can save women’s lives through reducing blood loss and stabilizing the women until treatment is available.
Addressing the participants at the end of the three-days training in Gboko Local Government Area, the Director NKST Primary Health Care (PHC), Samuel Alyewan said PPH or excessive bleeding after childbirth, is the leading cause of maternal deaths with an estimated ratio of about 1046 deaths out of every 100,000 live births recorded in Benue State ranking next to Katsina in Nigeria
“This is an alarming rate. In developed countries it’s just about seven deaths out of 100,000 live births. If over 1000 women are dying out of labour or during childbirth, then it’s alarming. We need those women and we need the children too.”
While lamenting that women are dying from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, the Director said the deaths could be prevented with timely and effective maternal health care management and equipment.
Alyewan maintained that PPH requires emergency treatment but lamented that most health workers lacked the prerequisite skills to save the lives of women when such situations occur.
He therefore expressed confidence that the training on the use of anti shock garment have equipped the workers with the required skills to reduce to Maternal mortality and urged them to go back to their facilities and communities to put their skills to good use and save lives.
“The workshop it very important because it has given them the skills to help pregnant women deliver safely.”
The NKST is a faith based organization, established by the missionaries, that is engaged in Primary Health Care services, agriculture , education and spreading the gospel. Currently, the NKST has over 100 PHC facilities spread across Benue State, Taraba and Cross River States.
Alyewan who noted that the organization is overwhelmed called for support from the governments, good spirited individuals and also local, national and international organizations in the area of equipment, human resources, training, funding, as well as infrastructural upgrade to enable them step up their services.
Earlier, the Coordinator NKST Reproductive Health, Sarah Ingbian said the training was to equip the workers on how to apply and remove Non-pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG) and also to train them on other skills needed to prevent others causes of maternal deaths.
She said the organization called for the training because the device has been introduced as one of the essential equipments for managing maternal and child health and being a component of reproductive health, it became imperative that their staff should be equipped with the skills to help reduce maternal mortality.
Ingbian said WHO report shows that Nigeria is the third country with the highest maternal mortality adding that in Nigeria, Katsina and Benue state are among the states contributing the highest maternal mortality rate.
She said the trainees were put through causes of maternal deaths, causes and management post Partum Hemorrhage, how to use and remove the NASG device when it occurs. While disclosing that the training would be expanded for more workers, she urged them to use their new knowledge to improve on the services in their facilities.
The NKST Reproductive Health coordinator appealed to the State Government and other International bodies to help supply these facilities with the Anti shock Garment (NASG) to enable them reduce maternal deaths in the rural areas.
Some of the trainees who spoke to our correspondent; Godwin Yina, Athanasius Shaayange, Dorcas Abue and Joyce Anikpa, appreciated the NKST Reproductive Health Unit for the training pledging not just to put it to good use but to also step down the skills to their colleagues so that together they can safeguard the lives of pregnant mothers in Benue state.
They also pleaded that they need these NASG in their health centers.
The participants were drawn from NKST PHC facilities from eight Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state including Gboko, Katsina-Ala, Guma, Ukum, Vandeikya, Konshisha among others.
Photos.
1&2. The Director, Samuel Alyewan addressing the trainees.
3. The health workers demonstrating use of the anti shock garment.
