Abstract
Maternal, newborn, and child health indices in Nigeria vary widely across geopolitical zones and between urban and rural areas, mostly due to variations in the availability of skilled attendance at birth. To improve these indices, the Midwives Service Scheme (MSS) in Nigeria engaged newly graduated, unemployed, and retired midwives to work temporarily in rural areas. The midwives are posted for 1 year to selected primary care facilities linked through a cluster model in which four such facilities with the capacity to provide basic essential obstetric care are clustered around a secondary care facility with the capacity to provide comprehensive emergency obstetric care. The outcome of the MSS 1 year on has been an uneven improvement in maternal, newborn, and child health indices in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Major challenges include retention, availability and training of midwives, and varying levels of commitment from state and local governments across the country, and despite the availability of skilled birth attendants at MSS facilities, women still deliver at home in some parts of the country.
Highlights
Nigeria, with more than 140 million people, including 31 million women of childbearing age and 28 million children under the age of five, is by far the most populous African country
The northeast (NE) zone has the highest maternal mortality ratio (MMR): 1,549/100,000 live births compared to 165/100,000 live births in the southwest (SW)
Neonatal, and child mortality rates in Nigeria are highest in the NE and northwest (NW) zones and lowest in the southeast (SE) and SW [1]
Summary
With more than 140 million people, including 31 million women of childbearing age and 28 million children under the age of five, is by far the most populous African country. In addition to their clinical duties, the midwives serve as change agents in the target communities by working with WDCs to mobilise the people for health action and promoting women and child health care and home visits Training for these roles is part of the basic midwifery training, and the midwives are involved in the creation of the WDCs. MSS implementation was preceded by establishing key baseline maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) indicators to define goals and provide a clear framework for future evaluation. Facilities in the NE and SE did not show a decrease in MMR
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
