Thread by @nighealthwatch

It's our first Multi-Stakeholder meeting in Niger State for the #GivingBirthInNigeria project!!!

Theme: Catalysing Accountability for Maternal Deaths in Niger State. Stay with us for live updates
Watch live: facebook.com/nigeriahealthw…

#GivingBirthInNigeria project is a rallying call for greater accountability for maternal deaths, aimed at key stakeholders, primarily at the community level, who encounter women at various touchpoints of their pregnancy- @uofonagoro at the Multi-Stakeholder Meeting in Niger State

It is our responsibility to ensure that every mother and child is healthy - before, during and after birth- @uofonagoro of @EpiAFRIC at the #GivingBirthInNigeria Multi-Stakeholder Meeting in Niger State

During our #GivingBirthInNigeria baseline survey, several women expressed their fears, saying, "I go dey fear say I don pregnant...I hope say I no go die or my pikin no go die"- @uofonagoro of @EpiAFRIC at the #GivingBirthInNigeria Multi-Stakeholder Meeting in Niger State

#GivingBirthInNigeria aims to make every maternal death count. Pregnancy should always be a thing of joy. It is not a death sentence or disease. The fear of death should not be resounding among pregnant Nigerian women- @uofonagoro at #GivingBirthInNigeria Meeting in Niger State

At the Federation of Muslim Women's Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), we educate mothers on the importance of antenatal care and exclusive breastfeeding. Practical complimentary trainings are also carried out- Ameerah Salatu Mohammed, President, FOMWAN Minna
#GivingBirthInNigeria

Most women complain that they do not want male health workers to attend to them in health facilities. If we do not want men to touch us, then we must train the girl child- Ameerah Salatu Mohammed, President, FOMWAN Minna at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting

I want to appeal to health workers, please treat women well during their antenatal appointments. This will encourage them to give birth in the facility- Ameerah Salatu Mohammed, President, FOMWAN Minna at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting

There must be community involvement if we want to change the narrative of high maternal deaths in Nigeria - Moses Ukama, Project Coordinator @RaiseFDN at the #GivingBirthInNigeria stakeholders meeting in Niger State @MSDforMothers @Africare @EpiAFRIC @ekemma @UNICEF_Nigeria

Some women do not believe in visiting health facilities. It is a taboo to them and they prefer to give birth at home. They are only taken to the facility when complications arise- Moses Ukamah, Programme Coordinator @RaiseFDN

#GivingBirthInNigeria

We have community volunteers that go house-to-house to ensure that every pregnant woman visits the health facility for antenatal care and delivery- Moses Ukamah, Programme Coordinator @RaiseFDN at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting in Niger State

We provide free 'Mama Kits' to women who deliver their babies at PHCs. This has provided some form of financial relief for expectant women and their families- Moses Ukamah, Programme Coordinator @RaiseFDN at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting in Niger State

You need to understand a problem before you can solve it. Listen to Umaru Kingande, Director of Nursing Services at the Niger State Ministry of Health as he lists why women die giving in the state. #GivingBirthInNigeria @EpiAFRIC @MSDforMothers @Africare @ekemma @Olubunmi___

Poor attitude of health workers discourages women from visiting health facilities. Some facilities also detain women for longer periods than necessary after giving birth due to unpaid bills- Mary from Shiroro LGA, Minna, at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting

My appeal to community leaders is to take care of the midwives and health workers sent to their communities. They should be kind to them and give whatever is necessary to make them comfortable- Umaru Bilkigande, Director of Nursing, SMoH Niger State
#GivingBirthInNigeria

Our health workers should understand that their sole responsibility is to save lives- Falalu Suleiman, Reporter, Radio Niger at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting

Sometimes, pregnant women do and say things to provoke health workers, but they (health workers) should learn to be patient at all times. Patience is key in the work that we do-Amina Abdullahi, Deputy Director of Public Health, MoH, Niger State
#GivingBirthInNigeria

I don't want us to go home with the notion that all health workers are bad because there are some good ones. We should always remember that- Joseph Barde, Senior Adviser to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Chairman, Niger State at #GivingBirthInNigeria meeting

A lot has been heaped on the doorsteps of health workers. A lot of us are not trained on emotional intelligence. There is a missing link- Jubril Dannaiya, Chairman Nigerian Medical Association, Niger State, at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting

We must be patient-centered in every service that we offer. One health worker can destroy the reputation of a health facility. We must be all be held accountable- @uofonagoro at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting

If we leave our women in rural areas without skilled birth attendants and functional health centres, they will continue to die. It is not magic- Dr. Magaji, Chairman, State Steering committee on Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR)
#GivingBirthInNigeria

No matter how hard-to-reach a Nigerian community is, there is always a polling unit there during elections. Why do we not have functional health facilities in those areas?- Dr. Magaji, Chairman, State Steering Committee on MPDSR
#GivingBirthInNigeria

Because I am gynaecologist does not mean my wife is immune to complications or death during birth, The only difference is that I ensure that my wife delivers in a health facility where there are skilled health workers- Dr. Magaji
#GivingBirthInNigeria

Hajiya Hauwa Mohammed of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Niger State shares her thoughts on ways to improve maternal health outcomes at the #GivingBirthInNigeria stakeholders meeting @Africare @EpiAFRIC @MSDforMothers @ekemma @UNICEF_Nigeria @Olubunmi___ @SojiAdeyi

We need to take our advocacy to women in rural communities. They need to know that health facilities are safe for the delivery of their babies- Ameerah Salatu Mohammed, President, FOMWAN Minna at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting

No project lasts forever, sustainability is key. As individuals, we have our roles to play. Beyond what the Government and NGOs are doing, it is our own responsibility to ensure that every life counts- Moses Ukamah, Programme Coordinator @RaiseFDN

#GivingBirthInNigeria

We owe it to every woman who has died from childbirth complications in the past, to make sure that no other woman dies- @uofonagoro of @EpiAFRIC at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting in Niger State

As a media practitioner, we have a lot of work to do. We need to educate Nigerians on their rights so that they can demand for it. People cannot demand for what they do not know- @JalingoMary at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting

Imagine going through pain as a pregnant woman, and a health worker is asking you, 'Na me send you? Was I there when you were enjoying it?'. It is disheartening- @JalingoMary at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting

When we begin to take legal actions against the negligence of health workers, I think things will change- @JalingoMary at the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting in Niger State

The media has a role to play in ensuring accountability for maternal deaths in Nigeria. Falalu Suleiman shares how this can be achieved through collective efforts at the #GivingBirthInNigeria meeting @MSDforMothers @EpiAFRIC @Africare @Olubunmi___ @RaiseFDN @UNICEF_Nigeria

Nigeria’s population dynamics makes it very important to take account of maternal deaths especially at the rural level where majority of women give birth - Dr Magaji, Chairman State Chairing Committee on MPDSR #GivingBirthInNigeria @MSDforMothers @Olubunmi___ @EpiAFRIC @RaiseFDN

Who should be held accountable for maternal deaths in Nigeria? - “ALL OF US” says Ameera Mohammed, President, Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria at the #GivingBirthInNigeria meeting @MSDforMothers @Adaeze_Oreh @ekemma @EpiAFRIC @Africare @GatesAfrica @Fmohnigeria

“I have seen a woman that stayed in the hospital for almost a month after delivery because she didn’t have money. Someone had to help her pay”- Anna Simon, Reproductive Health Coordinator, NSPHCDA @MSDforMothers @ekemma @VIhekweazu @yates_rob @EpiAFRIC #GivingBirthInNigeria

At the #GivingBirthInNigeria multi-stakeholder meeting in Niger State, we asked participants what maternal health means to them. See their responses 👇👇👇

#EndMaternalMortality #AllForMothers