Get Guardian on GoogleLagos State Government has called for a more deliberate and coordinated approach to maternal and newborn healthcare, as it moves to adopt a new programme aimed at improving emergency response and reducing preventable deaths among mothers and babies.
The programme, “Training for Emergency Action, Management and Workflows in Obstetrics and Neonatal Care’ (TEAM OB/TEO), was unveiled in Lagos.
The high-level stakeholders’ meeting, organised by Technical Advice Connect (TAConnect), in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Health, brought together government officials, development partners, professional bodies and health facility representatives to consolidate existing progress and jointly develop a sustainable, state-owned approach to strengthening emergency care for mothers and newborns.
Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, while delivering her keynote address, emphasised that maternal and newborn deaths remained major concern despite years of interventions and investments in the health sector.
According to her, complications, such as postpartum haemorrhage, eclampsia, maternal sepsis, birth asphyxia and premature births continue to threaten the lives of mothers and newborns.
Ogunyemi said Team OB/NEO approach would require doctors, midwives, nurses and other health professionals to work in partnership during emergencies, as against depending on individual efforts.
She, however, gave the assurance that the state would also focus on facility readiness, standardised clinical procedures, regular supervision and the use of data to identify gaps and measure progress.
The Executive Director of TAConnect, Dr Lilian Anomnachi, said TEAM-OB/NEO would build on the lessons and achievements of the organisation’s Accelerating Expanded Adoption of RMNCH Innovations and Health Reform (AEARI) project in Lagos.
She said that the new programme was designed to address gaps in previous interventions by bringing maternal and newborn care under one coordinated system.
Also, Technical Director of TAConnect, Dr Layi Jaiyeola, said TEAM-OB/NEO would also address the loss of skills and confidence among health workers, which he identified as factors affecting emergency care.
He said the programme would introduce facility-based, simulation-led training, allowing health workers to practise regularly instead of relying on classroom sessions or occasional training outside their workplaces.
