A Comprehensive Approach is necessary to tackle Maternal Mortality successfully. The numerous factors influencing Maternal Mortality and Morbidity go far beyond the percentage of attended births or reachable emergency services. The approach addresses issues to social behaviour, infrastructure, skilled manpower, supportive supervision and quality services for of prenatal, antenatal and post natal care.
The targets for improving maternal health include reducing by three-fourths the maternal mortality ratio and achieve universal access to reproductive health. Poverty and lack of education perpetuate high adolescent birth rates. Inadequate funding for family planning is a major failure in fulfilling commitments to improving women’s reproductive health.
OBJECTIVES
- To contribute to the improvement of access to quality maternal health services in rural areas.
- To strengthen the capacities in terms of knowledge enhancement, skills upgrading, attitude change, data and information gathering, analysis and dissemination of key actors (both men and women) involved in maternal health interventions to meet maternal health needs.
- To broaden and enhance the prevention of diseases which threaten maternal health, including STD’s and HIV/AIDS, through involving men in activities of prevention, care and support.
- To support government policy, UN MDG 5, decision-making processes and quality through the provision of well researched empirical data and information relevant to reproductive and maternal health.
- To support rural communities, central and local government agencies, and relevant civil society organisations to assess and mobilize local and external resources for improving maternal health in the state.