Nigeria Health Watch: Reducing Maternal Mortality in Nigeria; the SHI Response
1. Name/Bio: Chinonso Kenneth is a freelance constructive journalist based in Nigeria. He is passionate about reporting on health, politics, environment and gender using the solutions and constructive journalism approaches.
2. Newsroom: Nigeria Health Watch is a not-for-profit health communication and advocacy organisation that seeks to advocate for better health for Nigerians using thought leadership and Solutions Journalism
3. Genre of Journalism: Solutions Journalism/Health Journalism
4. Published Story: Click Here
5. Insider Tips from Chinonso Kenneth: Nigeria Health Watch has an in-house template for pitching which is what I used below. You will find that simply filling each session of the template with the relevant information will increase the chances of your pitch being commissioned. For more information on Nigeria Health Watch, visit here.
6. The pitch from Chinonso Kenneth to Nigeria Health Watch
“Proposed title: Reducing Maternal Mortality in Nigeria; the SHI Response
Problem statement: A 2023 report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that Nigeria accounted for 12 percent of global maternal, and neonatal deaths in 2020 recording 540 maternal, stillbirths and neonatal deaths per thousand – the second largest in the world. The high prevalence of maternal death in Nigeria has been linked to inequalities in access to health services during pregnancy and childbirth.
Further data analysis from the 2018 Nigerian National Demographic Health Survey also showed that only 29 percent of births to women in rural areas were assisted by a skilled healthcare provider, leaving a whopping 72 percent to make do with unskilled traditional based birth attendants (TBAs), community-based birth attendants (CBAs) and other alternative healthcare providers.
With only 24,640 medical doctors available in Nigeria as at 2019, there is a need to upskill CBAs so they can adequately take safe deliveries of babies in rural areas where they tend to be the only option available to women in underserved areas.
Solution I want to pursue: To fill this gap, a non-profit organisation called Safer Hands Health Initiative (SHI) is working to reduce maternal mortality in Nigeria by providing holistic training and upskilling for TBAs and CBAs to be able to provide safe, hygienic and complication-free deliveries for their patients. SHI also provide TBAs, CBAs and primary healthcare centers with sterile birthing kits (these kits contain basic birthing commodities such as latex working gloves, soap, mackintosh, sterile gauze, disinfectant, instructional materials on hand washing and decontamination of working areas and equipment) to ensure safe hygienic delivery and provide good prognosis for every childbirth process.
What is innovative or unique about this solution? While most organizations target certified medical doctors and hospitals with trainings and resources to combat maternal mortality, SHI targets these unskilled traditional birth attendants in rural communities with intermittent tools and trainings on providing safe and hygienic deliveries.
These unique method means that SHI is responding to the maternal mortality rate in rural communities where both the rate of maternal mortality and use of TBAs by pregnant women is high
Who is solving the problem: A non-profit organisation called Safer Hands Health Initiative (SHI).
Research/Data Analysis into authenticity of solution: In a pre-interview chat with the two co-founders of SHI, I was informed that the organisation has been able to distribute over 10,000 birthing kits, trained over 200 TBAs, CBAs in 25 underserved and sub-urban communities across 12 states in Nigeria.
Furthermore, I intend to interview two beneficiaries to further collaborate the impact of ERA.
Location: While the organisation is based in Lagos, it programs are spread across Nigeria
Limitations: Dr Roland Ojo, one of SHI co-founders noted that they face acceptance drawbacks from some of TBAs and CBAs who have the notion that the organisation is trying to take away their clients and so are not always willing to attend their trainings.
Dr Roland also noted that sometime their target audience expect financial reward from the SHI in addition to the trainings and free kits they receive which is a problem since SHI’s has limited resources.
Timeline: If commissioned, I can deliver this story within 3 weeks.
Field Research Details:
Since I’m based in Abuja and not Lagos state, i will conduct telephone interviews with the 2 TBAs or CBAs who have upskilled their knowledge on safe birthing processes due to SHI’s training. I will also speak with the founders of SHI to get more in-dept information on the impact of the organisation.
Furthermore, I will like to interview a medical professional to get an expert perspective on how impactful SHI’s model can be in solving the galloping maternal mortality problems in Nigeria.
Date of Story Submission: 31th August 2023”