In its drive to continually improve maternal care in Northern Nigeria, a baby skincare indigenous brand, Mobaby has given out birthing kits to women in Gombe, Kaduna and Borno states. The beneficiaries were pregnant women in low incomes areas, traditional birth attendants, Primary Healthcare centers and health workers.
In its second edition, and an Access Bank Sustainability Initiative, it takes the North as an expansion of its existing initiative, Themed, Project Uwar (‘Uwar’ is a Hausa word for Midwife)
An Despite increasing attention and commitments by policymakers globally to the goal of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, both have remained stubbornly high in sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, the neonatal mortality rate (NMR; number of newborn deaths per 1,000 live births) was roughly stagnant between 1990 and 2013, and the burden of neonatal mortality remains higher in Nigeria vis-a-vis other sub-Saharan African countries. Moreover, Nigeria is one of six countries that jointly constitute more than 50 per cent of global maternal deaths, and reductions in the maternal mortality ratio in Nigeria (MMR; number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) have been slow and inconsistent.
The burden of maternal and neonatal mortality remains persistently high in Nigeria.
Sepsis contributes significantly to both maternal and newborn mortality, and safe birthing kits have long been promoted as a cost-effective intervention to ensure hygienic delivery practices and reduce sepsis.
According to the founder, Mobaby, Maryam Adebola-Salami, it’s phase two project is in its mission to reach more pregnant women and continuously reduce the rate of mortality.
“Mobaby Care facilitated the procurement, distribution of birthing kits for 3000 pregnant women and training of traditional birth attendants across 30 communities in Northern Nigeria. The Birthing Kit include: a pair Glove, Mobaby Soap, body butter, Sterling blade, Twine for the cord, Postnatal pads, and diaper.”
She noted that through its Mobaby Care Mobile Clinic it is working to reduce the rates of disease and death among women, infants, and children. “The risk of maternal and infant disease and death can be decreased by reducing delivery-related complications, increasing access to high-quality health care (like training received by local midwives), and promoting and supporting breastfeeding and safe birthing environments. This is reported to predominantly reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by another 30 per cent.”
Areas covered it its visit to reachout to pregnant women include Zainab Bulkacuwa Women and Children Hospital, PHCs kwami, Kwadon, Cottage Hospital Pindiga and General Hospital Billiri in Gombe state. In Maiduguri, it covered the following PHC Dala Lawanti; Abbaganaram; Damgari, DUSMAN; Malakyariri; CBDA; Jiddari; Fori; Abujan Talakawa; Mairi; Mashamari; Maimusari; Auno; Njimtilo and Gomari
While in Kaduna, Project Uwar visited Mando, Rigachukun, Birnin Yero and Barakallahu healthcares.
Adebola-Salami added that the Project Uwar will be completing it’s rounds in Northern Nigeria by the end of June and then move to the South-South and Eastern part of Nigeria to be able to cover more grounds as there are more maternal and neonatal healthcare issues to be addressed.