Firm partners Ogun Govt. to transform maternal health

On Sep 21, 2024

A healthcare technology company, Emergency Response Africa (ERA) has partnered the Ogun State Government to inaugurate an initiative to save the lives of pregnant women and infants in the state.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Folake Owodunni, in a statement on Friday, said the programme was designed to reduce maternal mortality and increase access to life-saving emergency obstetric care for rural communities.

She said the service would be provided through the Rural Maternal Health Emergency Transportation (R-MHET) to rural communities, where healthcare infrastructure and timely access are critical challenges.

“We started Emergency Response Africa because too many lives are lost to preventable causes in Nigeria. These are losses we cannot afford.

“Our partnership with the Ogun state government on the Rural Maternal Health Emergency Transportation service will help us save more than 1,000 lives by ensuring that pregnant women can reach healthcare facilities during emergencies.

“This project is part of our broader mission to build a responsive emergency healthcare system in Nigeria that leaves no one behind,” she said.

She said the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and the NDHS 2018 for Ogun state revealed a state-level maternal mortality ratio of 179 per 100,000 live births.

Owodunni added that the report showed an infant mortality ratio, and under-five mortality ratio of 68/1000, 85/1000 live births respectively.

“These figures underscore the urgent need for improved healthcare access, particularly for pregnant women in rural areas. Many of these deaths occur due to delays in seeking help, reaching healthcare facilities, and receiving adequate care upon arrival —the exact challenges the R-MHET programme is designed to overcome,” she said.

According to her, the R-MHET programme combines cutting-edge technology with on-the-ground emergency services to deliver an efficient response to maternal health crises in rural communities.

She said the programme would utilise USSD and SMS-based dispatch systems, while trained community-based first responders would quickly transport pregnant women and infants to healthcare facilities in emergencies.

Owodunni emphasised that the programme would expand the capacity of the Ogun State Ambulance and Emergency Service (OGSAES) and strengthen referral systems across healthcare facilities.

She said the initiative offers free emergency transportation to pregnant women through a voucher system, with additional non-emergency transport available for antenatal care appointments to reduce the risk of emergencies.

Owodunni said the service would begin in Odeda Local Government Area, with plans to scale the programme to other regions of the state in the coming months.

Similarly, Dr Tomi Coker, Commissioner for Health, Ogun state, said the initiative was a critical part of the state’s strategy to reduce maternal mortality.

“Research shows that when a mother dies, her child is 50 times more likely to die within the first month of life. The loss affects not just her family but the entire community.

“Partnering with Emergency Response Africa allows us to provide women with the life-saving transportation they need during emergencies, saving mothers, children, and families. By saving one life, we are protecting the future of an entire community,” Coker said.

NAN/Wumi