The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has cautioned women against delivering babies at home in order to improve their chances of survival during and after delivery.
Oluseyi Olosunde, UNICEF Health Officer, on Wednesday, at a Media conference in Gombe state, stressed that homes lack necessary facilities to treat complications during labour.
Providing awareness on the statistics of home births, Olosunde affirmed that, “6 out of 10 child deliveries in Nigeria are always at home, and mainly all of these childbirths are performed by unprofessional birth attendants which is a high risk to both mother and child.” He equally referenced this method to the slow decline in maternal and child morbidity rates.
Reacting, Dr. Tushar Rane, Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, focused attention on the essence of gender equality and women’s welfare in raising prosperous economies and promoting a healthy planet.
He said, “we are assembled to gain an understanding of the extraordinary attainment of community-based women in the health sector in our field office states – Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba through the mama2mama initiative.
“Women frequently act as health promoters and instructors within their communities. They create awareness about health challenges and motivate community members to seek healthcare when needed.
“Provided with the right knowledge, women can efficiently conduct or take part in community health initiatives, such as vaccination campaigns.”
