Maternal health our human right

I was invited to serve as a resource person at two training workshops on promoting maternal health in Kaduna state. One was a civil society- legislative – executive round table on maternal health, while the second was media training for legislative reporters on promoting maternal health and rights. Both events which were organised by the […]

I was invited to serve as a resource person at two training workshops on promoting maternal health in Kaduna state. One was a civil society- legislative – executive round table on maternal health, while the second was media training for legislative reporters on promoting maternal health and rights. Both events which were organised by the Abuja based Civil Society Centre for Legislative Advocacy CISLAC held at the Epitome Hotel in Kaduna and were supported by the MacArthur Foundation, a private US foundation. The roundtable held on December 11 2013. It opened with an opening address by the Executive Director of CISLAC Auwal Musa Rafsanjani who underscored the importance of partnership for promoting maternal health among the participants. He said as policy makers and advocates, participants at the event represent critical sectors of their community who can make change happen. The Kaduna State Commissioner for Health made a presentation on the Review of Kaduna State Intervention in Reducing Maternal Mortality. It was presented on his behalf by a staff of the Ministry, Malam Lawal Abubakar. The second paper was titled Assessing the Role of Legislator/ Executive in Reducing Maternal Mortality in the State was presented by Malam YZ Yau while my paper was titled the Assessing the Role of Civil Society in Promoting Accountability for Maternal Health.  My paper highlighted the fact that reporting on Maternal Health is about promoting development. If women are not alive they cannot be partners in development and if we do not address maternal morbidity, development will be hampered because sick women cannot contribute effectively to development. If we do not address child mortality, our development indicators will remain poor so child survival is also important. After the paper presentations, Chioma Kanu, the CISLAC Programme Officer facilitated a working group in which participants were asked to discuss the topic: Maternal Accountability: Who Should be Held Responsible?
On December 12 2013, the media training attracted about twenty participants from various media organisations in Kaduna state.  The training facilitated by resource persons among them, Dr Aminu Magashi, Dr Paul Manya Dogo, Mr Iliya Kure, Mallam Y.Z Ya’u and my humble self who made presentations. Some of the issues highlighted were the fact that Legislative reporters can facilitate their outreach to legislators by understanding the manifestoes of the various political parties. This will break the ground and the reporter should draw attention to what the parties to which legislators belong actually promised to do for the people when elected into office. The manifesto is a campaign promise and a social contract between the people and the government, an action plan for delivering the dividends of democracy. My paper recommended that health care services must be improved and maternal and newborn health should be made a high priority by all tiers of government.
In accordance with the inter-national commitments made by the federal government, particularly – Abuja Declaration and Maputo Protocol- governments at all levels, should allocate at least 15 percent of the total annual budget to health.  Of this budget, at least 10 percent should be committed to reproductive health services.
 After exhaustive deliberations on various topics, participants observed and recommended as follows:
– There were contradictions in government’s reported achie-vements in healthcare and the assessment of the media participants.
–  Lack of encouragement, support and cooperation among medical personnel and other stakeholders towards media repor-tage on health related matters.
–  Lack of political transparency, accountability, monitoring, proprie-tary interest and weak media atten-tion towards health related issues has resulted in a setback on the achievement of effective media reportage on maternal health in the state.
-Rising level of corruption, poorly paid journalists and lack of political commitment have posed a critical challenge to the achievement of effective media reportage and support on maternal health in the state.
–  Most of the 32% doctors in local government areas in the state have deviated from clinical duties leading to inadequate skilled and medical personnel;
– Poor reporting skills and know-ledge on the part of journalists on health related matters.
– Weak approach towards the provision of maternal health care; and unfavourable working conditions have resulted in conti-nuous migration of skilled health workers from the state to other part of world.
– Inadequate budgetary allo-cation to health care sector has hindered the provision of maternal health services in the State.
– Weak oversight of the State House of Assembly towards the increment of budgetary allocation to maternal health has led to serious decline in the monitoring framework of maternal and new born health.
– The State’s executives are considered as major stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of effective maternal health policies.
– Dearth of medication and Primary Health Care Centres for women and children in the State is considered a threat to efforts at reducing maternal mortality.
Participants then recommended
– Increased focus on social media to drive health related reportage; and integration of the various media into a common platform.
– Well-informed media reportage and investigative journalism on health related matters.
-Aggressive demand by the media for continuous political commitment, transparency and accountability in the health sector; and developmental journalism using the provision of Freedom of Information Act.
–      Increased media and social media familiarity to budgetary advocacy and engagement on maternal health.
– Effective media reportage, publicity and support of CSOs-Legislative related activities on maternal health as a catalyst to create well-informed society.
–  Effective oversight of the State House of Assembly towards maternal and new born issues.
– Adequate provision of medical facilities and enhanced working conditions for medical workers in the state.
– Judicious utilization of existing resources towards the provision of effective health care facilities in the state.
– Integrated multi-sector approach towards the promotion of maternal health services in the State; and the use of social media to enhance audience support and interactive dialogue on maternal accountability.
– Continuous demand by the media from the State’s Executives for equipped Primary and Secondary health facilities to provide comprehensive health care at grassroots level.
The participants expressed their appreciation to CISLAC for organizing the training and to the MacArthur Foundation for providing the support. The media practitioners expressed willingness to partner with CISLAC on its initiative of promoting maternal health among Non-state Actors players in the health care sector in the State.  It was also unanimously agreed that quality of conversation should set a new agenda for effective media reportage on Maternal Health in the Kaduna State.