The Rotary Action Group for Reproductive Health in Nigeria is equipping Community Health Committees in Gombe State with vital reporting skills to address preventable maternal deaths at the grassroots level.
As part of its initiative, the group is implementing a structured data collection and reporting mechanism across two local government areas in each of the three pilot states of Nasarawa, Ekiti and Gombe and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
This is being carried out by Rotary in a-three-day training for the stakeholders in Gombe, with participants drawn from 10 wards each in Gombe and Yamaltu Deba Local Government Areas.
Through this training, participants are learning how to ask the right questions to determine the causes of maternal deaths in their communities.
The Country Director and National Coordinator of Rotary in Nigeria, Professor Emmanuel Lufadeju said that the training was bringing together key stakeholders, including Ward Development Committee Chairmen, Primary Healthcare Officials, and staff of the National Population Commission and engage them in meaningful discussions, share expertise, and develop actionable strategies to reduce maternal mortality.
The initiative focuses on strengthening community-led approaches to improving access to quality antenatal care, enhancing referral systems, and promoting grassroots interventions.
Prof. Lufadeju underscored the significance of Community Maternal Perinatal Child Death Surveillance and Response (CMPDSR) as ‘a critical strategy for reducing maternal and perinatal mortality.’
He explained that “surveillance involves systematically collecting, analysing, and interpreting data on maternal, perinatal, and child deaths within the community.”
According to him, the Response component will ensure timely and effective actions, including investigations, reviews, and the implementation of corrective measures to prevent future deaths.
With this initiative, he said; “the Rotary Action Group is fostering a data-driven, community-centered approach to maternal health, aiming for lasting impact in Nigeria’s fight against maternal mortality.”
Professor Lufadeju stated that this initiative would be implemented at the ward level by integrating it into the responsibilities of the Ward Development Committee (WDC), which has long been responsible for reporting community health concerns.
Moving forward, the committee will also report on maternal and perinatal deaths, as well as conduct surveillance and response activities.
“So now, the committee consists of the WDCs and the Community MPDCR. This committee is crucial because it serves as the nerve center,” Prof. Lufadeju said.
He explained that the committee would rely on a network of trained informants who would report such incidents. Upon receiving a report, the committee would visit the deceased’s home and arrange for a verbal autopsy with a family member to determine the cause of death.
According to Prof. Lufadeju, “once the verbal autopsy is conducted, the data will follow a structured reporting system, reaching the highest levels of the country through an automated system. This system will then analyze the information to establish the medical cause of death.”
After determining the cause, the findings will be shared with the community, allowing them to take necessary actions to prevent future occurrences.
He highlighted three key delays that contribute to maternal deaths;
- Decision-making at home: Whether to seek medical care at facilities or not
- Transportation challenges: Poor roads, lack of transport, or inability to afford the fare,
- Hospital readiness: Availability of beds, medical staff, essential equipment, and facilities for cesarean sections.
Prof. Lufadeju urged communities to take proactive steps in eliminating these delays to prevent avoidable maternal deaths.
Speaking on the causes of maternal deaths in Gombe State, Dr. Garba Mohammed, Chairman of the Community Maternal Perinatal Child Deaths Surveillance and Response, identified obstetric hemorrhage (bleeding before, during, or after delivery) and infections, such as post-abortal sepsis and puerperal sepsis, as the leading causes of maternal mortality.
He emphasised that, despite their severity, these conditions are largely preventable.
Dr. Mohammed also highlighted toxemia, (pregnancy-induced hypertension), eclampsia (characterized by convulsions and excessive salivation), obstructed labour, and unsafe abortions as other significant contributors to maternal deaths.
Commendation
He commended the community reporting initiative by Rotary, expressing confidence that it would play a crucial role in preventing future maternal fatalities.
A community Leader from Yamaltu Deba LGA, the District Head of Wajari, Ibrahim Adamu, said most of the incidences of maternal mortality occur when some men abandon their responsibilities of caring for the wife as ordained by God.
He said; “When your wife is pregnant, you have to show some signs of affection. That way, anything that is required to promote her health up to her delivery, you know how to provide. So, this lack of love, lack of affection that most of our people, most especially ignorant ones at the grassroots, are some of the things that are causing these problems,” said the District Head of Wajari.”
He, however, said there was the need for more sensitisation of the people in their area, who are ignorant of the consequences of such neglect and resistance in accepting the services of the medical facilities.
The Chairman of Gombe Local Government Council, Mr. Sani Ahmed Haruna, who also serves as the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Gombe State, commended Rotary’s efforts in addressing maternal mortality, describing them as highly encouraging and impactful.
Haruna urged members of the CMPCDSR to take full ownership of the programme to maximize its benefits in reducing or even eliminating preventable maternal deaths in the state.
“It is crucial for us to strengthen the existing system and address its weaknesses. I encourage all those involved in this programme, as well as those who will be inspired to join, particularly Community Health Extension Workers and Community Health Influencers, Promoters, and Services, to work together in saving lives,” he said.
Similarly, Yamaltu Deba, one of the two Local Government Areas selected for implementation of the Rotary initiative, has expressed strong support for the programme.
The Chairman of the council, Mr. Abubakar Hassan Difa praised Rotary’s training programme and affirmed his LGA’s commitment to ensuring its success in tackling maternal mortality in the area.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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