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By Chinelo Obogo
Maternal Reproductive Health (MRH) Research Collective has launched Mamabase, to collate the data of pregnant women in Lagos State, starting at the primary health level and facilitate the subsequent monitoring of the women from point of engagement till delivery
Dr. Noimot Balogun who is one of the those spearheading the launch, said in a statement that through evidence-based research and work with other stakeholders to address the challenges pregnant women face in Nigeria, this initiative will help generate insights and data to provide solutions to the gaps in effective healthcare delivery at this critical tier of care.
She said that in Nigeria, one in every 22 women die from pregnancy-related complications and in 2020, Nigeria had the third highest maternal mortality globally with 1047 deaths recorded per 100,000 live births in 2020 alone. She said despite considerable efforts, Nigeria continues to record high maternal and newborn mortality and this shows the need to fill the gap of “misses and near-misses” for maternal and child health survival as we approach the 2030 timeline for Sustainable Development Goals.
” Though, various reasons for maternal and child morbidity and mortality exist; social determinants of health such as religious and cultural beliefs, educational background, informal support systems influence and poverty are reemerging threats to survival.
Reports show that women in communities still utilise multiple sources of healthcare during pregnancy up till delivery; health facilities, worship houses, traditional birth homes “TBHs”, auxiliary shops, and some even deliver at home.
“Without community-based social system, a pregnant woman is faced with the hurdle of sieving out the plethora of information given to her by family members and friends. For example, her choice of delivery may be influenced by “success stories” about an unskilled birth attendant who is “very good” at handling complicated deliveries without verification. It may also be due to an assumption, affirmation or religiously induced taboo about cesarian section, induction or other modern-day maternal procedures. This experience is equally pronounced during postnatal care as the new mother is made to take a myriad of concoctions to encourage breast milk secretion, wean the child, or clean the umbilical chord.
“The costs associated with formal clinical care is a challenge. In a country where the population largely pays out of pocket to access healthcare, the expenses of seeking healthcare. Invariably, the burden of care is pushed back to the formal system when the women are rushed in as emergencies due to complications. Thus deliberate efforts must be made by the health providers in value chain to meet women at these various degrees of vulnerability.
“This is the idea behind the MamaBase registry, and the #WeMenForHer campaign by the Maternal Reproductive Health (MRH) Research Collective is set to achieve as its broad mandate. The MamaBase registry is a digital registry to collate the data of pregnant women in Lagos State, starting at the primary health level, to facilitate the subsequent monitoring of the women from point of engagement till delivery. Through evidence-based research and work with other stakeholders to address these challenges, this initiative will help generate insights and data to provide solutions to the gaps in effective healthcare delivery at this critical tier of care. The MamaBase registry will be coming to communities all around Nigeria, starting with Lagos State,” she said.
