TY Danjuma Foundation’s collaboration with the Antof Rural Resource Development Centre (ARRDEC) on interventions aimed at promoting antenatal care and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services across 10 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State is yielding results.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria accounts for 20% of global maternal deaths. Up to 40 million Nigerian women of childbearing age endure significant health challenges related to childbirth, with a maternal mortality rate of 1,047 per 100,000 live births and an under-five mortality ratio of 117 per 1,000 live births. The lifetime risk of a woman dying during pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum period is 1 in 22.
Evidence has demonstrated that pregnant women who adhere to the WHO recommendation of at least eight antenatal care (ANC) contacts fully benefit from the life-saving potential of ANC. This includes the triple elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality rates among pregnant women.
In 2024, the Foundation advanced ANC and PMTCT services in six primary healthcare centres across Etinan and Onna LGAs. The interventions included training healthcare workers and traditional birth attendants to manage maternal complications, providing mamma kits to encourage ANC attendance, linking HIV-positive pregnant women to PMTCT services, and engaging community volunteers and mentor mothers to ensure adherence to treatment protocols among HIV-positive mothers.
The project yielded these:
A member of one of the communities, Reverend Joseph Timothy, the deputy village head of Ikot Esen Oku and the Ward Development Committee Chairman said this about the project. “Prior to the intervention by the TY Danjuma Foundation and ARRDEC, our health centre was minimally operational, with no deliveries and only a few women attending antenatal care (ANC). Since the commencement of the Healthy Mother Healthy Child project in our community, there has been a remarkable transformation. Women from neighbouring communities now attend ANC, and there are more and safer facility-based deliveries. The equipment provided, such as the resuscitation kit, has already saved a new-born’s life. The provision of mama kits has encouraged more women to seek care, and community leaders are now motivated to contribute to sustaining the positive impact achieved by the TY Danjuma Foundation and ARRDEC. We extend our profound gratitude to TYDF and ARRDEC for their invaluable support.”
Visit our YouTube channel for videos of our interventions.