The Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) has reached more than 38,000 people across over 170 communities in Lagos and Ibadan with awareness campaigns aimed at preventing maternal deaths, particularly those caused by postpartum haemorrhage (PPH).

The intervention is being implemented under the organisation’s 11-month TRANSFORM project in Lagos and Oyo states, with a target of reaching 50,000 people across more than 100 communities.
PPH, characterised by excessive bleeding after childbirth, is a major maternal health emergency that can rapidly become life-threatening if it is not recognised and managed promptly. WARDC’s intervention seeks to improve community awareness of the warning signs and the importance of timely access to appropriate healthcare.

Speaking on the initiative, Executive Chair of WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said sustained community and media engagement was critical to reducing preventable maternal deaths.
Akiyode-Afolabi expressed satisfaction with the work of TRANSFORM project field officers across different clusters in Lagos State and called for greater attention to successful community interventions that can contribute to improving maternal health outcomes.

She also reaffirmed WARDC’s commitment to using media engagement to increase public awareness about the prevention of maternal deaths.

A major component of the project is improving understanding of Tranexamic Acid (TXA), a medicine that can play a role in the clinical management of PPH when administered appropriately by health professionals.

WARDC stressed that its campaign on TXA is not intended to encourage self-medication. Rather, it aims to ensure that women, families, health workers and communities understand PPH, the importance of seeking urgent medical care when severe bleeding occurs, and the role of TXA within appropriate clinical care.
The organisation has been engaging women’s groups, youth groups, traditional and religious leaders, health workers and other community stakeholders through sensitisation sessions, community dialogues and town-hall meetings.

It has also distributed more than 10,000 simplified information, education and communication materials and strengthened linkages between communities and appropriate health facilities.
WARDC said these interventions are designed to ensure that information about preventing maternal deaths reaches women and families before emergencies occur, while improving awareness of where and when to seek care.

The project’s community mobilisation is being supported by radio, television, print and digital campaigns. WARDC is using Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok, alongside media interviews, expert discussions and feature stories, to broaden public conversations around PPH, maternal healthcare and accountability.

Over the course of the 11-month project, the organisation plans to organise radio and television programmes that will bring together women, health workers, community leaders, advocates and other stakeholders to discuss barriers to safe motherhood and respond to questions around maternal health.
WARDC is also engaging government and health-sector stakeholders on the adoption, implementation and availability of appropriate interventions for PPH, including TXA, in accordance with relevant clinical guidelines and health-system requirements.

The organisation said evidence gathered from communities, including testimonies, monitoring findings and issues raised through media and public discussions, would inform these policy and health-sector engagements.

As part of efforts to sustain awareness at the community level, WARDC has trained 30 community leaders and health advocates as Trainers of Trainers. The trained advocates are expected to continue disseminating maternal health information and promoting community accountability.

Akiyode-Afolabi also highlighted the role of journalists in tackling preventable maternal deaths, urging the media to move beyond reporting statistics and individual cases.

She called for greater reporting on the experiences of women and families, the perspectives of health professionals and community leaders, and systemic barriers that can delay access to quality maternal healthcare.

According to WARDC, sustained reporting can help ensure that maternal deaths remain a public health and accountability issue, connecting the experiences of women at community level with health facilities, policymakers and the wider public.

Field officers working across different clusters in Lagos State shared success stories from the project and called for additional support to expand community awareness.

With the project already reaching more than 38,000 people, WARDC said it would continue its community mobilisation, media engagement and policy advocacy efforts towards its target of 50,000 people, with particular emphasis on improving knowledge and timely response to postpartum haemorrhage as part of broader efforts to prevent avoidable maternal deaths.