‘Training traditional birth attendants can reduce infant, maternal death’
Wife of Lagos State Governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola has said training traditional birth attendants (TBAs) is in line with the vision of the state to reduce infant and maternal mortality during childbirth.
According to her, training of this cadre of healthcare professionals in modern and essential skills in child delivery will support the government to achieve its goals.
Mrs Fasholoa spoke at the First Convocation of TBAs at the Lagos State College of Health Technology.
She said TBAs play important roles in the communities, stressing that they should be valued because of the services they render.
Nigeria, she said, is among countries with the highest rate of infant and maternal mortality, adding that this should not be.
Mrs Fashola said: “One of the obvious reasons for high infant and maternal death ratio (IMDR) is that expectant mothers in the communities prefer the services of TBAs who do not have formal knowledge on the modern and essential skills in child deliveries and other precautions.”
The training of the TBAs, she noted, would help to reduce infant and maternal death significantly, and even to “zero level” because the exercise will be done more regularly and across the country.
She enjoined the beneficiaries to put to use the skills acquired during the training to ensure qualitative delivery.
Special Adviser to Governor Fashola on Public Health, Dr Yewande Adeshina advised the TBAs to operate within the capacity of their job.
She said the hospital remains the best place for delivery, adding that TBAs can be helpful by referring critical cases to health facilities where expectant mothers can deliver unharmed.
Dr Adeshina warned them to know their limit because unnecessary delay can cause preventable deaths of mother and child.
Chairman, Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board (LSTMB), Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi said the TBAs were trained through collaboration between the college and the board.
The TBAs, he said, have been classified as Community Based Health Workers (CBHW) by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), stressing that their training was a strategy to improve healthcare coverage in the communities.
“This is in line with the World Health Assembly (WHA) strategy on development of traditional medicine to improve health care coverage. This made the World Health Assembly pass some resolutions to recognise the importance of traditional medicine to provision of essential health care, especially to populations with limited access to healthcare system.
“Traditional medicine was recognised as one of the resources of primary healthcare (PHC) services that could contribute to improve health outcomes, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),” he said.
Omoseyindemi said the TBAs are involved in assisting in the birth of newborn in developing countries but they are largely self-taught or informally trained.
“They provide additional services, practical help and education as well as counselling to women. Although they cannot substitute for skilled providers, they can contribute to the survival of mothers and newborns by facilitating access to needed information, clinical services and support,” he said.
He said their role usually reflects the culture and social structure of the communities, adding: “In some communities, a TBA may be a full-time worker who can be called upon and who expects to be paid in cash or in kind.
Omoseyindemi said 110 TBAs graduated from the college after successful completion of their programmes.