Availability and Utilization of Emergency Obstetric Care Services in Three Communities in Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria
), Onyemocho Audu(2), Sa’adatu Baba-Lafia(3), Umma Bawa(4), Babayo Tukur(5), Clara Ejembi(6), Sunday Adaji(7), Oladapo Shittu(8),
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Corresponding Author
Abstract
Maternal mortality ratios often reflect on the quality and availability of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) services. Ten health facilities in Kaduna State were assessed to determine their capacity to provide EmOC. Each community had the recommended number of both primary and secondary health facilities per population. All secondary health facilities had 24-hour services staffed by at least one doctor and one nurse/midwife per shift, and were able to perform most signal functions of EmOC in the three months preceding the survey. However, no primary health centres (PHC) were open 24 hours, and their performance of EmOC in the three months preceding the survey was near zero. Thus the presence of functional secondary hospitals is not enough to reduce maternal mortality in communities where women have to overcome numerous barriers to reach a hospital. If shortages of personnel, equipment and supplies in PHCs were resolved, 24-hour services could lead to a sharp reduction in maternal and infant mortality among rural women in northern Nigeria (Afr. J. Reprod. Health 2010; 14[3]: 83-88).
Résumé
Disponibilité et utilisation des services de soins obstétriques d’urgence dans trois communautés dans l’état de Kaduna, au nord du Nigéria. Les rapports de la mortalité maternelle reflètent souvent la qualité et la disponibilité des services de soins obstétriques d‟urgence (SSOU). Nous avons évalué dix établissements de santé dans l‟état de Kaduna afin de déterminer leur capacité pour assurer les SSOU. Chaque communauté disposait d‟un nombre d‟établissements primaires et secondaires par population. Tous les établissements de santé secondaires avaient de services de 24 heures qui avaient comme personnel un médecin, et une infirmière/sage-femme par poste et qui étaient capables d‟exercer la plupart des signal-fonctions des SSOU dans les trois mois avant l‟enquête. Néanmoins, aucun centre de soins primaires (CSP) n‟était ouvert pour 24 heures et leur performance des SSOU dans les trois mois avant l‟enquête était presque zéro. Ainsi, la présence des hôpitaux secondaires ne suffit pas pour réduire la mortalité maternelle dans les communautés où les femmes doivent surmonter beaucoup d‟obstacles pour arriver à l‟hôpital. Si les problèmes de manque de personnel, d‟équipements et d‟approvisionnement dans les CSPs sont résolus, les services de 24 heures pourraient amener une réduction remarquable dans la mortalité maternelle et infantile chez les femmes rurales au nord du Nigéria (Afr. J. Reprod. Health 2010; 14[3]: 83-88).
Key words: Emergency obstetric care, primary health care, maternal mortality, rural communities, northern Nigeria.
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