Dr. Abiodun Adereni’s Post

The Plight of Pregnant Women in Nigeria: A Call to Action. Nigeria, a country with a rich cultural heritage and a vibrant population, is facing a critical challenge in its healthcare system. The plight of pregnant women in Nigeria is a pressing concern that demands immediate attention. Maternal Mortality: A National Emergency Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the country accounts for approximately 20% of global maternal deaths. This translates to about 814 deaths per 100,000 live births. Challenges Facing Pregnant Women. Pregnant women in Nigeria face numerous challenges, including: Lack of access to quality healthcare, Poor infrastructure Health, Inadequate skilled birth attendants, Cultural and social barriers, proliferation unstandardized private clinics. Way Forward; To address the plight of pregnant women in Nigeria, the following steps must be taken: Improve access to quality healthcare, Promote Health education and awareness, Address cultural and social barriers, Support policy and legislative reforms Conclusion The plight of pregnant women in Nigeria is a pressing concern that requires immediate attention. By addressing the challenges facing these women and promoting access to quality healthcare, education, and awareness, we can reduce maternal mortality and improve the health and well-being of women and their families. San. E.E. Dogara.

Empowering Vulnerable Families in Guinea through Free Medical Care In Guinea, access to essential healthcare services has been a significant challenge, especially for vulnerable families. However, recent initiatives are making a profound impact on the lives of many. The introduction of free medical care for children under five and pregnant women, including prenatal care and delivery services, has been a game-changer. This initiative ensures that even the most vulnerable families can access the healthcare they need without the burden of financial strain. By investing in the health of mothers and children, we are laying the foundation for a healthier, more prosperous Guinea. Let's continue to support and advocate for policies that ensure universal health coverage and protect the most vulnerable among us. https://lnkd.in/eFy_UcTZ

🚨 Publication Alert! 🚨 I am excited to share our publication on infant and young child feeding practices among mothers in the pilot Micronutrient Powder Initiative in four geographically and ethnically diverse districts in Ghana. Key Findings • Mothers in the four districts generally followed the eight IYCF recommendations. • Giving children 4 or more food groups and timely introduction of complementary feeding were perceived as the hardest IYCF practices to follow. • The main facilitators of IYCF practices include midwives and frontline nurses teaching mothers how to breastfeed, and midwives ensuring mothers initiate breastfeeding immediately after delivery. • The main barriers to IYCF practices identified were insufficient breastmilk; mothers-in-law giving water to children before six months; resumption of work; and lack of financial means. PLOS UNICEF World Health Organization Read more at: https://lnkd.in/epukTk37

"How was the Eclipse on your side of the globe? Welcome to Week 2 of RI’s Month of Maternal and Child Health. No country has greater instances of maternal death than Nigeria. In 2020, 82,000 pregnant women and new mothers died there, nearly four times the maternal fatalities in India, where the second-most deaths occur. One contributing factor? Sixty percent of births in Nigeria take place outside of a health center or hospital, meaning mothers and expectant mothers are far more vulnerable if complications arise. And they so often do: The top causes of maternal deaths include postpartum hemorrhage, obstructed labor, and eclampsia, when seizures develop from a complication that can cause high blood pressure and organ damage. “Most people view [the deaths] as a punishment from the gods or some kind of witchcraft,” says midwife Ashezi David Alu. “But it’s just a pure act of negligence because of poor management of those complications.” Now a $2 million Programs of Scale grant from The Rotary Foundation is addressing this problem head on. Its goal is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by 25 percent in target areas at the end of the three-year program. Known as Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria, the initiative is sponsored by Rotary District 1860 (Germany) in partnership with Districts 9110, 9125, 9141, and 9142 (Nigeria), as well as the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal, and Child Health. Unfolding in targeted areas within three Nigerian states and the Federal Capital Territory, the initiative builds on previous work by Rotary members in the country. It’s hoped that, once the program demonstrates its effectiveness, it will be replicated across Nigeria and elsewhere. Critically, Rotary members are partnering with federal and state agencies in implementing the program to ensure the intervention and its benefits last far longer than the three years of the grant cycle. “This project is going to birth more projects,” insists Toyosi Adebambo, the program’s manager." - Submitted by: Christopher W Knapp, District 6000 Foundation Chair #rotaryinternational #Rotary #ServiceAboveSelf #Maternal #ChildHealth

Exciting times ahead

At the heart of our mission to improve maternal and child health, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, with its social impact partner Reckitt celebrated the launch of Project Oscar Light for Life, an initiative envisioned by Oscar Anderson MBE a young disability Activist. This transformative Neonatal Jaundice Screening, Treatment, and Kernicterus Prevention Program is set to redefine neonatal care in Nigeria. Through this initiative, over 10,000 mothers will be educated on early signs and treatment of neonatal jaundice, more than 9,000 infants will be screened for timely intervention, 300 healthcare workers will receive specialised training, and primary, secondary, and tertiary facilities will be equipped with essential tools such as phototherapy units and diagnostic devices to enhance ongoing care. Delivering the opening address, our Founder and President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, passionately stated “Project Oscar – Light For Life is more than a program; it is a cornerstone of a global campaign to raise awareness, improve access to care, and shape international policies and guidelines. Through this Campaign, we advocate for the integration of neonatal jaundice care into global health provisions, systems and neonatal health guidelines, emphasising the importance of early and effective interventions.” In his welcome address, Mr Akbar Ali Shah, CEO of Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, reaffirmed Reckitt’s unwavering commitment to advancing health outcomes through impactful partnerships and innovative programs like Project Oscar. We were honoured by the presence of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Honourable Commissioner for Health Lagos State Prof. Akin Abayomi, Federal Minister for Health H.E. Prof. Muhammed Ali Pate CON, Federal Ministry of Health Nigeria represented by Dr Wasiu Lanre Adeyemo, CMD of LUTHOFFICIALINFO LUTH, Professor Chinyere Ezeaka, Head of Neonatology-Perinatology at University of Lagos Nigeria. Through this program, we are committed to advanced Neonatal and child health in Nigeria ensuring that every newborn, receives the lifesaving care they deserve. #ProjectOscar #NeonatalHealth #NNJ #LightforLife #Kernicterus #NeonatalJaundiceAwareness

International Day to End Obstetric Fistula: A Call to Action On International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, Her Story Nigeria stands in solidarity with women and girls around the world who suffer from this debilitating condition. Obstetric fistula is a severe childbirth injury that causes chronic leakage of urine or feces, leading to physical discomfort, infections, and social stigma. It is a hole that develops between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum as a result of prolonged, obstructed labor without timely medical intervention. It occurs due to prolonged obstructed labor without timely medical intervention, and disproportionately affects young, poor, and rural women with limited access to healthcare. Understanding this condition, its impact, and the urgency of eradicating it is crucial in our mission to promote women's health and rights in Nigeria and beyond. Nigeria has one of the highest prevalences of obstetric fistula, with approximately 13,000 new cases occurring annually and over 150,000 women living with untreated fistula. The impact of this condition is devastating, affecting not only physical health but also emotional well-being, social status, and economic opportunities. Women with fistula often face rejection, isolation, and economic hardship due to the stigma associated with their condition. Eradicating obstetric fistula requires a multi-faceted approach, including improving access to maternal health services, raising awareness and education, addressing child marriage and early childbearing, providing surgical treatment and rehabilitation services, and advocating for policy changes and increased investment in maternal health programs. Her Story Nigeria is dedicated to advocating for women's health and rights, including raising awareness about obstetric fistula, supporting initiatives to improve maternal healthcare access, collaborating with partners to provide support and treatment for affected women, and advocating for policies that address the root causes of this condition. On International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, Her Story Nigeria reaffirms its commitment to ending this preventable and treatable condition, ensuring that no woman or girl suffers needlessly from obstetric fistula, and promoting the right of every woman to live a healthy, dignified life. #EndFistula #MaternalHealth #HerStoryNigeria #WomensRights #ObstetricFistula #InternationalDayToEndObstetricFistula

Since 2017, the Injectables Access Collaborative project has been dedicated to ensuring women have increased access to DMPA-SC and self-injection through data-driven technical assistance, coordination, and tools. Our latest report provides a comprehensive assessment of the supply chain system for family planning products in Malawi, identifying challenges and offering recommendations for improving system performance. Malawi has made significant strides in scaling up DMPA-SC, with 100% of eligible facilities having trained providers and 27% of DMPA-SC visits being for self-injection in 2023. This assessment, conducted in collaboration with the Malawi AC, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc., Jhpiego, JSI, inSupply Health, MOH, and local stakeholders, is crucial for promoting DMPA-SC as part of a comprehensive range of contraceptive options, thereby improving reproductive health outcomes in Malawi. Read the full report here: https://brnw.ch/21wLurD

🌍 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂ô𝐭𝐞 𝐝’𝐈𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐫𝐞? 🌍   For more than 30 years, @savechildrenci has worked tirelessly to improve access to and delivery of #PrimaryHealthCare services across #CotedIvoire, reducing preventable illness and death. We’ve strengthened the capacity of 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 who have treated 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟐 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 for malaria and other childhood illnesses. Our country-led approach brings care close to home through strengthened community health systems and community ownership.   Our new brief, ‘Strengthening Primary and Community Health Care in Côte d’Ivoire,’ highlights how we build and equip #CommunityHealthWorkers to provide integrated community case management, deliver interventions for common childhood illnesses, prevent, and treat #malaria in pregnancy, and utilize key #DigitalHealth tools to enhance routine, quality community health data collection, reporting, and use. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞: https://bit.ly/SCPHC   What do you think are the critical factors to address to improve community health care in Côte d'Ivoire?"   #HealthForAll Save the Children International Save the Children US

🌍 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂ô𝐭𝐞 𝐝’𝐈𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐫𝐞? 🌍 For more than 30 years, @savethechildrenci has worked tirelessly to improve access to and delivery of #PrimaryHealthCare services across #CotedIvoire, reducing preventable illness and death. We’ve strengthened the capacity of 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 who have treated 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟐 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 for malaria and other childhood illnesses. Our country-led approach brings care close to home through strengthened community health systems and community ownership. Our new brief, ‘Strengthening Primary and Community Health Care in Côte d’Ivoire,’ highlights how we build and equip #CommunityHealthWorkers to provide integrated community case management, deliver interventions for common childhood illnesses, prevent, and treat #malaria in pregnancy, and utilize key #DigitalHealth tools to enhance routine, quality community health data collection, reporting, and use. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞: https://bit.ly/SCPHC What do you think are the critical factors to address to improve community health care in Côte d'Ivoire?" #HealthForAll Save the Children International Save the Children US