Health Promotion: A Strategy for Increasing Uptake of Maternal Health Care Services in Nigeria

Abstract

Maternal health is a major concern of all countries, especially in developing countries. Everywhere in the world, Pregnancy and birth possess a risk to the life and health of women and newborns, regardless of whether a pregnancy was intended or unintended.This paper examined health promotion strategies for increasing uptake for maternal health care services by critically identifying factors that militates against maternal health services such as inaccessibility of health care services, high cost of maternal services, environmental infrastructure,information deficit, lack of education, attitudinal defects of health workers and socio - cultural factors. Guided by Salutogenic theory and health promotion strategic action areas such as, Building Healthy Public Policy, Creating Supportive Environments, Strengthening Community Actions, Developing Personal Skills and Re-orienting Health Services; encouraging women for increasing uptake of maternal health services. The paper presented suggestions to combating maternal health burdens in Nigeria and recommended that government should prioritize women in overall developmental strategies by investing in education for women, poverty reduction programme, and adequate provision and funding of healthcare facilities in Nigeria among others which can be an effective measure to reducing maternal mortality in the longer term.