Oluseyi Olosunde, Health officer at the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, has said that Nigeria remained a leading contributor to global maternal mortality, requiring urgent intervention.

The health officer said disclosed this during a three-day capacity-building workshop for healthcare workers aimed at combating postpartum haemorrhage, held at the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria headquarters in Bauchi.

He highlighted that the federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has prioritised maternal mortality reduction in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to him, “We have identified that postpartum haemorrhage is a major contributor to maternal mortality,” Olosunde said.

“UNICEF is supporting the Bauchi State Government to empower health workers and refresh their capacity around postpartum haemorrhage management. Once their capacity is enhanced, they will provide better support during delivery and postpartum services.”

Addressing clinical indicators, Olosunde explained that blood loss exceeding 500ml during childbirth constitutes a medical emergency. While some blood loss is inevitable during delivery, proper clinical management is vital to preventing fatalities.

He further noted that multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) has replaced traditional, separate prescriptions of ferrous sulfate, folic acid, and multivitamins.

“Multiple micronutrient supplementation combines all the essential micronutrients and multivitamins the body needs into a single commodity,” Olosunde said.

“If a woman has sufficient blood levels, the challenges associated with blood loss during childbirth are significantly minimised.”

Also speaking during the occasion, Emmanuel Agbogo, an obstetrician with the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Azare, explained that the training is designed to equip healthcare workers with the knowledge and skills needed to prevent, diagnose early, and properly treat postpartum hemorrhage.

He noted that the training was organised to guide health workers through the World Health Organization (WHO) bundle protocol for tackling postpartum hemorrhage one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide, and particularly in Northeast Nigeria.

According to Agbogo, “The workshop is to equip health workers to acquire all the knowledge required to prevent postpartum hemorrhage. If they cannot prevent it, they should be able to detect it on time and treat it according to standard protocols. This will minimise the morbidity associated with it for women coming to deliver in hospitals, especially considering the rural nature of the Northeast.”

He added, “This training is not the first of its kind, but there are still unreached areas in the Northeast, particularly in some of our primary healthcare centers across all states in the region.”

Agbogo also identified anemia during pregnancy as a major risk factor for postpartum hemorrhage. He pointed out that due to low literacy levels and poverty, many women cannot afford proper nutrition, despite their increased nutritional needs during pregnancy.

He further noted that the introduction of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) has helped many women reduce the severity of anemia during pregnancy.

Emmanuel Agbogo concluded that tackling this risk factor directly translates to a reduction in postpartum hemorrhage cases during childbirth.