KEY POINTS

• With the MamaBase program, 7,800 pregnant women from 12 Lagos LGAs received free maternal care and 7,467 of their deliveries were safe.
• The initiative led to a 50 percent drop in third-term pregnancy losses and reached a maternal mortality ratio that was much lower than the national normal.
• For Phase 2, MamaBase will begin operations in Kaduna State, trying to reach 10,000 pregnant women in hard-to-reach areas.

According to the MRHC, the MamaBase maternal health program has given antenatal and emergency care to over 7,800 women from 12 local government areas in Lagos State.

Carried out in the period of October 2023 to September 2024, the purpose was to make sure pregnant women from underserved areas received proper care and services for free at health facilities.

Olajumoke Oke, acting executive director of MRHC, told the press in Lagos that the project led to 7,467 safe deliveries and a maternal mortality ratio of 123 for every 100,000 live births, improving on Nigeria’s average of 1,047.

Findings from the MamaBase initiative

The program took place in Epe, Eti-Osa, Ibeju-Lekki, Alimosho, Ikorodu, Mushin, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Ojo, Amuwo-Odofin, Kosofe, Agege and Apapa.

Oke points out that 80 percent of pregnant women had medical care in facilities which led to a 50 percent drop in late pregnancy losses. Moreover, 144 women classified as high risk received epidural and cesarean section support when needed.

No children born with congenital heart disease suffered from death in 99.9 percent of births, according to the initiative.

Targeted actions supported by the community are shown to benefit maternal health, even in settings with limited resources, Trina Oke stated.

Promoting more influence

Chief operating officer Olufunmilola Owosho explained that the program had achieved its goal of including 5,000 women in formal medical care ahead of schedule. Still, she noted some major barriers to care such as mothers not having health insurance, infrequent access to ambulances and cultural problems that keep women from reaching medical help.

“We hope to see more collaborations to help this successful approach reach other regions in urgent need,” she said.

During the study, abiounusa said that MRHC prepared traditional birth attendants, spoke to the public about hygiene and made use of telephone calls to communicate information.

MRHC informed the public that Phase 2 of the program would be available in Kaduna State to assist 10,000 disadvantaged pregnant women with an improved and more straightforward method.

The Ministry of Health’s Abimbola Mabogunje praised the MamaBase initiative as a key move to boost maternal and reproductive health services in Lagos State.