By Terna Chikpa
The Maternal, Perinatal and Child Death Surveillance and Response (MPCDSR) Committee, under the Taraba State Ministry of Health, has trained stakeholders and established response committees to address the high rate of maternal, perinatal and child deaths in the state.
Dr Richard Garkum Yebiya, Assistant Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the ministry, disclosed this while facilitating a two-day review and training meeting organised to strengthen surveillance and improve community health outcomes.
Our correspondent reports that the MPCDSR project, under the Taraba State Ministry of Health, is supported by West and Central Africa Health Options Limited/GTE (WCA Health).
Yebiya said the review and training meeting was necessitated by the alarming rate of maternal deaths reported in five local government areas of the state: Zing, Lau, Ardo-Kola, Gashaka and Ussa.
He said the project was targeting all 16 local government areas, with special attention to communities identified as mortality hotspots.
Expressing concern, Yebiya said more than 60 per cent of maternal and perinatal deaths occurred at the community level, outside health facilities, while many cases remained uncounted, unrecorded and unreviewed, resulting in what he described as “invisible” mortality trends.
He said committee members were trained to identify vulnerable communities and ensure prompt notification of deaths, while engaging key local stakeholders and establishing clear verification protocols to guarantee timely reporting and protect the privacy of affected families.
During the review and training meeting, participants identified bureaucratic delays in primary healthcare facilities, poor antenatal care attendance among pregnant women, inadequate health education and financial constraints as some of the factors contributing to maternal, perinatal and child deaths in the state.
The committee also plans to establish village revolving funds and savings schemes to provide upfront medical expenses and drugs during obstetric emergencies.
It is also considering partnerships with local transport unions and the establishment of dedicated village emergency drivers and vehicles to facilitate the transportation of pregnant women to health facilities and reduce preventable deaths.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Health at the Taraba State Ministry of Health, Dr Abe Agbu, commended the MPCDSR committee and its supporting partners for their efforts to reduce maternal mortality in the state.
He pledged the state government’s commitment to supporting the project and ensuring the expansion of its surveillance activities across all 16 local government areas.