By Asma’u Ahmad
The Rotary International District 9125 says it is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health to accelerate implementation of maternal and peri-natal death surveillance in eight pilot states to reverse maternal and neonatal indices in Nigeria.
National Coordinator, Rotary International Nigeria, Professor Emmanuel Lufadeju, made this known during an advocacy and sensitisation workshop on maternal and peri-natal death surveillance and response for state officials on Thursday in Abuja.
Prof. Isaac Adewole
Lufadeju said the project objective was to support and accelerate the implementation of Nigeria’s Maternal and Peri-Natal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) guidelines with Quality Assurance in Obstetrics (OQA).
He added that the project promotes and supports the use and implementation of MPDSR and OQA, stressing that rotary international supports family planning in 65 secondary and teaching hospitals.
According to him, the facilities are selected in collaboration with the federal ministry of health, including Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Ondo and Osun States as well the Federal Capital Territory.
In a keynote address, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said MPDSR was a programme of the Federal Government aimed at accelerating the reduction of Maternal and Peri-natal Mortality in Nigeria.
The minister represented by the Director Family Health in the ministry, Dr Adebimpe Adebiyi, said maternal and peri-natal mortalities were now notifiable events and had been included in the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response list like other existing diseases.
The Republic of Germany Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Bernhard Schlagheck, said the initiative was supported by Rotary International and assisted by Rotarians in Germany and Rotarian Action Group for Population and Development.
“The Rotarians from Nigeria and Germany has set up data management part of MPDSR which is piloted in eight states with a plan to extend it to the 36 states and the FCT,’’ he said.
He however noted that reduction of maternal mortality rate in Nigeria is indispensable aspect of harnessing demographic dividends.
He added that other equally important aspect of harnessing demographic dividend is reducing fertility rate via enrolment of girls into secondary education and other family planning response programmes.
