Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has said his administration will leverage collaboration and partnerships with relevant stakeholders including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to improve access to quality and affordable healthcare for women and children in the state.
The governor said this in commemoration of the International Midwives Day, marked every May 5, by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other organs of the United Nations (UN).
According to the governor, “As the world marks the International Midwives Day, we will continue to collaborate with partners to sustain efforts at improving quality and affordable healthcare for women and children through the revamp of the state’s primary health care system.”
“With the Edo Healthcare Improvement Programme (Edo-HIP), midwives and other workers at the Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) are being trained to be more efficient at their work, provide top-of-the-range services to the public and respond more passionately to their duties. This is to ensure that more people, especially women and children with health needs in rural areas and villages, access quality and affordable health care to improve their wellbeing.”
Noting that the training programme will cover 1700 health workers in PHCs across the state, he said, “We are determined to build the capacity of midwives to change from their old ways to improved methods of providing health services. Birth attendants are being trained to be more professional and handle pregnant women with care to prevent maternal and child mortality.”
“We are working with the National Nursing Council and relevant bodies on reviewing curriculum, getting accreditation and reopening the Edo State School of Nursing and Midwifery to offer training and retraining for midwives in the state,” he added.
He said PHCs sited in rural areas are being fitted with supplies and highly trained and motivated personnel while provision has been made for constant power supply to forestall the incidence of power cuts.
According to the WHO, “Midwives educated and qualified to international standards can provide 87% of services needed by mothers and newborns.Women in receipt of WHO recommended midwife-led continuity of care experience a 24% reduction of preterm births, are 16% less likely to lose their baby, and report higher satisfaction with their birth experience.”
