The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has urged the government to include women living with disabilities indecision-making processes and promote gender balance in the healthcare workforce to improve maternal and newborn health (MNH) services in conflict-affected areas in the country.
Nigerian Principal Investigator of the “Ensuring Quality Access and Learning for Mothers and Newborns in Conflict Affected Contexts (EQUAL) research project, Dr. Mrs. EmiliaIwu, stated this at a meeting in Abuja to disseminate findings from the project being implemented by IHVN in the country.
Dr. Iwu stated that “Maternal and newborn health outcomes remain poor in Nigeria with latest UN estimates reporting 1,047 maternal deaths per 1000 live births in 2020 and 35 newborn deaths per 1000 live births 2021. This situation is worse in the North-East Zone where the 2018 Nigerian Demographic Health Survey estimated more than1,500 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births and 61 newborn deaths per 1000 live births.”
According To her, the research which runs from 2021 to 2026, is being conducted in Yobe State with funding from UK Aid.
“So far, evidence from literature and the key informant interviews we have conducted have revealed that though maternal, newborn health services are generally accepted, cultural norms such as women requiring spousal permission to access medical care, and religious beliefs that home births are divinely sanctioned hinder the timely seeking of services.
“We also found that men primarily hold senior health roles in government, civil society, and health facilities, while females often hold clinical/frontline positions. Promoting inclusion and gender balance in the system will increase the prioritization of maternal, and newborn health services,” she said.
She also called on the government to ensure timely policy dissemination and sensitization of health workers to foster the implementation of these policies amongst health workers in the communities.
“We need to leverage existing partner’s forums to have more regular effective communication and engage a wider range of stakeholders. For sustainability of initiatives political leaders need to be engaged,” she stressed.
EQUAL research is promoting an understanding of factors that impact the prioritization of maternal and newborn health programs and policies in Nigeria. It hopes to accelerate progress toward improved health outcomes for women and newborns in North-East Nigeria.
IHVN is a partner in the research consortium which includes the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the John Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health, Somali Research and Development Institute (SORDI), Conversation (UCD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
