Health partnership trains stakeholders on emergency obstetrics, newborn care in Kwara

A groundbreaking Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (EmONC) training has been scheduled for healthcare facilities in Kwara State.The project is a partnership by Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), Johnson & Johnson, as well as Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.The programme, which has been active in seven of the 16 local council areas of the state, is expected to improve health outcomes for mothers and their newborns.

Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), Mrs. Toyin Ojora Saraki, expressed confidence in the ability of the partnership to save lives.The programme had so far led to a 15 per cent reduction in maternal case fatality rate and a 38 per cent reduction in stillbirth in health care facilities in some places.

The organisers said its extension to other councils follows the successful completion of the first two phases, which have been affirmed as transforming the capacity of healthcare workers and saving lives during labour.

Saraki said: “Partnerships like ours are so important because of the huge improvements that it could readily made. 80 per cent of all maternal deaths result from five complications, which can be readily treated by qualified and trained health professionals.

These include: “Hemorrhage, sepsis, eclampsia, complications of abortion and obstructed labour. Our EmONC training is so successful because it takes place in-house and equips doctors, nurses and midwives. It is a collective team, with the skills needed to overcome these obstetric emergencies.”
 
“We will build on the lessons we have learnt from the partnership to improve outcomes across all local councils in the state.” The founder said she was optimistic about working with her esteemed partners, local champions and health workers, to continue to save lives and help mothers, newborns and communities to thrive.

Country Manager for Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson in Nigeria, Michelle Akande, said: “We believe, in partnerships, we can achieve so much than what we can achieve alone.  Because of partners as these, we believe that we can achieve the aspiration of ending preventable maternal and child death. “However, we need each and every one of you to join us because it is our collective dedication and commitment that will make the aspiration a reality.” 

Also, Senior Clinical Lecturer, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Dr. Charles Ameh said: “What is particularly exciting about phase three of this programme is the ability to improve the availability and quality of emergency obstetric and newborn care across the entire state. He explained that the partnership, which also has the Ministry of Health in the state, would allow LSTM to consolidate on the capacity of health care workers.