The Kaduna State Government has launched a policy and guideline to regulate Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and improve maternal and newborn health.
The policy was launched alongside a social and behaviour change strategy for nutrition across life cycles, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
At the launch in Kaduna, Professor Bello Jamoh, Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Primary Healthcare Board, represented by the Board’s Director of Planning, Dr Sunday Joseph, said the policy would help address gaps in human resources for health, and that TBAs were trusted and accessible, particularly in rural communities where they continued to support the formal healthcare system.
He, however, said their activities needed regulation because most of them were not trained professionals and could sometimes contribute to avoidable health complications. Also, the guidelines will ensure that TBAs receive appropriate training and understand their limitations, particularly in identifying danger signs and referring pregnant women, and also equip them to undertake appropriate infection prevention and control measures when necessary.
“This TBA guideline is key because it helps us control how these people operate and prevent them from causing more harm than good,” he stressed.
Jamoh explained that the policy and guidelines were developed with the participation of relevant stakeholders, while appreciating UNICEF and other professionals for their technical support.
He assured stakeholders that the Kaduna government would implement the policy and guidelines to reduce the risks associated with unregulated traditional childbirth practices.
The State’s Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, disclosed that the launch marked an important milestone in efforts to improve maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition.
Ahmed said the administration of Governor Uba Sani remained committed to ensuring that women and children had access to timely, appropriate and quality healthcare.
According to her, the government’s approach was not to ignore TBAs, but to provide a framework for their regulation, engagement, defined roles, referral and linkage with the formal health system.
The Commissioner said the policy would promote safe pregnancy and childbirth, early identification of danger signs, timely referrals and increased use of skilled healthcare services.
On nutrition, she said the Social and Behaviour Change Strategy provided a coordinated framework for promoting healthy practices from pregnancy through infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
She said good nutrition begins before pregnancy and continues throughout breastfeeding, complementary feeding and healthy practices throughout the life course.
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