Birth attendants re-trained

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A non-governmental Organisation, (NGO), the Brown Button Foundation and Yinka Mafe Foundation has held training for traditional birth attendants in Shagamu, Ogun State. It distributed medical kits.

The NGO also organised free medical diagnosis and treatment to indigenes of the state, which coincided with the launch and presentation of the new Lawata Health Centre, Shagamu.

The birth attendants were trained on how they can help the doctors who are often busy with their schedules.

The Brown Button Foundation, led by its founder/CEO, Adepeju Jaiyeoba, a professional lawyer brought different medical doctors, who took turns to sensitise the traditionalists, who listened with keen interest.

Their population filled the entire town hall. They were encouraged to pay attention to the teaching so as to avoid death resulting from over bleeding or infection.

The birth attendants were urged to be hygienic by washing their hands and avoid infections, as personal hygiene in the delivery process is also essential for saving lives.

They were encouraged by the medical instructors to sentitise pregnant women under their care on the need to eat foods rich in iron so that they can be adequately fortified for safe delivery.






associated with child birth. Also, labour should not delay beyond 11-12 hours before they are referred to a paediatrician or hospitals.

Also in the day, birth delivery kits were distributed. In it were white aprons, hand gloves and cloths to aid hygienic delivery. There was also a demonstration of how the kits were used.

Mrs Jaiyeoba in an interview said the training was necessary because many mothers die at childbirth every year.

“The situation is alarming. More than 36,000 women in Nigeria die yearly from childbirth. The report from maternity and child care report of 2012 shows that Nigeria is clearly off track in meeting Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 (MDG) which has to do with child and maternal mortality. Everywoman is at potential potential risk.

“The choice of shagamu was borne when we visited the community and saw that there were more than 15 traditional birth attendants without a hospital. The hospital we met there was just a room and parlour. Thus, in collaboration with the ministry, we have expanded and rebuilt the Latawa maternity centre.”

Hon Mafe equally empowered women and youth by presenting them with tricycles, canopies, hairdryers and clippers, standing fans, generator sets, gallons of oil, engine blenders and motorbikes.