By Adi Angyu, Bauchi
Bauchi State Ministry of Health in collaboration with Evidence for Action (E4A)/DFiD and USAID/TSHIP has establish Technical Working Group (TWG) on Maternal Death Review (MDR). The setting up of the committee became necessary in view of the prevailing rate of maternal deaths due to childbirth put at 576 per hundred thousand life birth in the country according to the 2013 National Health Demographic Survey. One woman out of every 41 in Nigeria faces a lifetime risk of death in childbirth in contrast to Ethiopia, where one woman out of 67 faces such a risk. The North East where Bauchi State resides is the worst hit by these deaths.
The MDR approach, which is one of the most cost effective methods to improve the performance of health workers towards reducing maternal deaths in our health facilities is a national health policy. In his presentation, Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed of E4A stated that “MDR is a qualitative, in-depth investigation into the causes of, and circumstances surrounding maternal deaths which occur in health care facilities with a view to determining strategies for preventing future occurrences.”
Dr. Ibrahim Alhassan Kabo of USAID/TSHIP also concurred in his presentation that the overall goal of MDR is to eliminate preventable maternal mortality by obtaining and using information on each maternal death to guide public health actions and monitor their impact.
While inaugurating members of the TWG yesterday which comprises of technical staff of the ministry, its agencies and parastatals, representatives of secondary and tertiary health institutions and development partners at the commodity store of Abubakar Tafwa Balewa University Teaching Hospital ATBUTH in Bauchi, the State Commissioner for Health Dr. Sani Abubakar Malami, disclosed that the state government is committed on improving the quality of obstetric care and reduce maternal mortality and morbidity as well as identify the delays that contribute to maternal deaths at various levels and the information used to adopt measures to fill the gaps in service.
The Commissioner who was represented by Dr. Abdulaziz M Manga, Executive Chairman ,BACATMA at the occasion said, however, in Bauchi state as is the case in most states in Nigeria, utilization of data on maternal morbidity and mortality to improve quality of service is limited hence the need for establishing the technical working group.
He explained that with support from various International agencies Ebonyi, Katsina, Ondo, Yobe and Zamfara states have attained varying levels of implementation of the process while Delta, Lagos, Ogun and Jigawa states have drawn inspiration and resources from within to set up their own process as Bauchi state, though had started in 2010 now picking momentum with the formation of the TWG to facilitate the process.
Dr. Malami lamented that information on the underlying causes of maternal deaths, drawn from clinical records, social and health systems, should have been used to provide the evidence for local decision-making on the interventions needed to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.
He said However, in Bauchi state as is the case in most states in Nigeria, utilization of data on maternal morbidity and mortality to improve quality of services is limited.
With the establishment of the TWG, the State Ministry of Health and development partners would in the near future build their capacities using the National Guidelines to facilitate the MDR processes in the State.
