| 2,819 midwives have been assigned to rural | | | | provide the services. |
| communities in Nigeria as part of efforts to | | | | Pate argued that two of the delays occurred at |
| reduce the current high rate of maternal mortality | | | | the primary health care and community level and |
| in Nigeria by the The National Primary Healthcare | | | | could be minimized and mitigated through an |
| Development Agency (NPHCDA ). | | | | effective primary health care system. |
| The midwives who are trained on life saving skills, | | | | He said that the MSS was an important entry |
| integrated management of childhood illnesses and | | | | point for delivering better maternal and newborn |
| other initiatives to improve quality of care. | | | | health outcomes as well as for revitalizing the |
| Mothers will be empowered through the provision | | | | primary health care system. |
| of “mama” kits that will include a very | | | | The midwives, he said, were posted to primary |
| innovative personal health record book to allow | | | | health care facilities in rural areas throughout the |
| them to control their health information. | | | | states and the 774 local government areas, and |
| The NPHCDA Executive Secretary, Dr. | | | | therefore urged them to work at the various |
| Muhammad Ali Pate said that the midwives were | | | | facilities they had been posted to in the various |
| deployed under its Midwives Service Scheme to | | | | rural communities, stressing that they must |
| 652 primary health care facilities which were linked | | | | collaborate with the ward development |
| to 163 general hospitals in all the 36 states and | | | | committees. |
| the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. | | | | While advising them to compile community profiles |
| The agency stressed that, the loss of the lives of | | | | and report maternal/child health indices, Pate |
| mothers and newborn babies could be linked to | | | | described maternal and newborn deaths as a |
| three delays including the inability to recognize | | | | national tragedy, adding that every life lost |
| that there was a problem and that health care | | | | negatively affected the nation’s human capital. |
| must be sought ,often due to lack of access to | | | | “The agency is working closely with the |
| the right information. | | | | Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and |
| Other delays he said include those due to lack of | | | | appreciates the support of the registrar of the |
| means to access health care which could be | | | | council and her team. We have mutual |
| physical and financial as well as the non-availability | | | | responsibility for the survival of mothers and |
| of needed service and skilled manpower to | | | | children in Nigeria,” Pate said. |