By Laraba Usman
Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health (RMCH) has organised a three-day training on Maternal, Prenatal Child, Death Surveillance and Response, electronic data collation for stakeholders in the health sector in Gombe.
Our correspondent reports that the participants were health workers on Emergency Obstetrics and Neonatal Care, Health Management and Information Officers, Monitoring and Evaluation officers and Medical Records officers.
Speaking yesterday to newsmen, Prof. Emanuel Lufadeju Country Director RMCH said the aim of the training was to equip the participants with electronic knowledge on how to notify and collect accurate data on maternal Prenatal and Child deaths electronically, which was a government approved tool for data management.
“Most of the data given on child and maternal death in the country is estimated, but this will be accurate.
“Considering the high burden of Maternal death, with 512 death per 100,000 live births in the country, was a call for concern, and it is our responsibility to ensure the reduction of the burden drastically.
He said, at the end of the training, the data collated would be used for evidence-based and recommendations for actions, to decrease Maternal Perinatal and Child mortality and morbidity.
Adedolapo said the goal of the training was to eliminate preventable Maternal perinatal and Child death, as well as guide public health actions and monitor their impact.
The country Director said to provide information and data that will lead to specific recommendations and actions and improve the Evaluation of their effectiveness.
He commended the Federal Government for instituting the policy and also thanked them for accepting the electronic platform that was donated by Rotary International for the purposes of evaluating Maternal and Child Perinatal data in the country.
“Instead of collating the data on paper, you can now do it electronically, and you can cover a significant number of the facilities.
He said the electronic platform was already functional in some tertiary, secondary, and some primary facilities in the country, and they were going to be expanding it.
“Every maternal death in every facility in the state must be notified within 24 hours through the electronic device, and every death must be reviewed within 30 days,” he said.
Also speaking Mr. Toyosi Adebambo Project Manager, Rotary RMCH said they have started the project in limited places, but were hoping to scale up in the future.
He said they have other things doing to support the process such as training of Midwives, Doctors, Community Health Workers and providing commodity support to ensure smooth execution.
He said, their expectations were to ensure the sustainability of the three-year project, and it’s eventual take over by the state government.
Dr. Maryam Abubakar Ag. The Executive Secretary Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency said the electronic platform would be used to take appropriate measures towards reducing Maternal and Child mortality in the state.