NGOs Take Pregnancy Care Campaign To 100 Lagos Women

A total of 100 women of reproductive age in a Lagos State have benefitted from a pregnancy care sensitisation campaign organised by Maternal Reproductive Healthcare (MRH) Collective in partnership with Sterling One Foundation.

The outreach, held in Ajeromi Ifelodun local government area, Lagos, was targeted at reducing maternal mortality by educating the beneficiaries on the importance of seeking skilled healthcare services during pregnancy.

The organisers, in a press statement, said the participants were enlightened on the need to register at health facilities during pregnancy, attend antenatal care regularly and recognise danger signs that may arise during pregnancy.

The programme manager for Interventions at MRH Collective, Fehintoluwa Aluko, said the initiative became necessary in view of Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate.

She said the campaign sought to encourage pregnant women to access healthcare facilities where skilled health professionals can detect and manage complications that may occur during pregnancy.

“The programme is about informing women in the community on the importance of registering with healthcare facilities when they become pregnant. Skilled health personnel can identify and manage risks associated with pregnancy. We believe that increased antenatal attendance will help reduce maternal deaths,” she said.

Aluko added that the sensitisation exercise is conducted twice monthly in different communities and local government areas in Lagos suburbs as part of the MamaBase Outreach Programme.

Commenting on the partnership, the Lead Operations at Sterling One Foundation, Tina Fasugbe, said the organisation remained committed to improving maternal and reproductive healthcare in underserved communities. She said healthcare is one of the foundation’s key intervention areas and that the collaboration with MRH Collective demonstrated its commitment to expanding access to quality maternal healthcare services.

“Our vision is to build a prosperous and inclusive Africa where everyone thrives. Through this partnership and the MamaBase outreach, we are reaffirming our commitment to women’s health and improving access to maternal healthcare in underserved communities in Lagos State,” she said.

The coordinator of the Ajeromi Ifelodun outreach, Oluwabusola Fadeni, said the programme also involved religious leaders as well as elderly men and women in the community to ensure wider dissemination of the message. She explained that community leaders and elders play significant roles in influencing health-seeking behaviour and can encourage younger women to access skilled healthcare services during pregnancy. The organisers expressed optimism that sustained awareness campaigns and increased community participation would contribute to reducing maternal deaths and improving maternal health outcomes in Lagos communities.