The Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Y. Suleiman, has said the House plans to enact a law to discourage home delivery among women of reproductive lol age as a strategy to curb maternal and infant mortality in the state.
Suleiman made this known during a two-day high-level engagement with policymakers and legislators on improving Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), as well as Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and Nutrition, held in Jos.
He expressed concern over findings from the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2023/24, which reveal that about 69 per cent of women in Bauchi deliver at home without any skilled birth attendant, while only 31 per cent deliver in health facilities.
“Reports state that 57 per cent of pregnant women in the state attend antenatal care services but still opt for home delivery. The health facilities are there, and it is their fundamental right, not a privilege, to access services. This is why the Assembly is considering a law that will compel women to utilise antenatal services and deliver in health facilities to reduce maternal and child mortality,” he said.
Following this pronouncement, participants at a media orientation on maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health held at the NUJ Secretariat in Bauchi called for the speedy introduction of the law to address the continued incidence of home deliveries.
According to available data, Bauchi State remains one of the states with the highest maternal mortality rates in Nigeria and the North-East, with many of the deaths linked to preventable pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications.
Speaking on the maternal and adolescent health situation in Bauchi, a Health Specialist with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Seyi Olosunde, said the media must discourage home delivery through their reportage.
“Maternal mortality is tied to neonatal mortality, which is put at 48 deaths per 1,000 live births, largely due to home delivery practices,” he said.
He noted that the media should step up reports on the benefits of pregnant women attending antenatal care at least eight times during pregnancy and delivering at health facilities.
The health specialist added that the commitment of the legislature would greatly help reverse the trend.
Also speaking, a Social Behaviour Change expert with UNICEF, George Eki, said the proposed legislation could help address harmful cultural practices associated with childbirth.
He said constant engagement with community stakeholders by the media would create a positive impact on household heads, who often decide whether women access health facilities for delivery.
In her remarks, Deputy Director of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health at the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Board, Amina Balanli, said the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) had introduced interventions aimed at reducing maternal mortality in 11 local government areas of the state.
