……as USAID IHP trains J4PD members on MPCDSR
By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
A Bauchi based Civil Society Organization (CSO) with special interest in public health, education, environment, WASH and other development issues, known as Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD) have reiterated their commitment in advancing and promoting uptake of health care services especially in the areas of Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) in Bauchi State and the country at large.
The CSO also pledged to partner with the Bauchi State Government, other CSOs and Implementing Partners (IPs) in their efforts towards reversing the worrisome maternal, perinatal and child deaths in the State.
Coordinator of J4PD, Ms. Elizabeth Kah made the pledge at the just concluded Three Days Training on Maternal, Perinatal and Child Death Surveillance Response (MPCDRS), organised by the United States Agency for International Development funded Integrated Health Program (USAID IHP) Task order 3 (TO3), held in Misau local government area of Bauchi State
While appreciating USAID IHP for building J4PD’s capacity in the areas MNCH, health financing and the concept of MPCDSR , the coordinator said they are now well informed and ready to carry out media advocacy on strengthening MPCDRS at both the health facilities and communities.
The J4PD Coordinator said that members intend to be carrying out routine field facility/community visits to ascertain level of implementation of MPCDRS aim at bringing stakeholders’ attention to evidence generated during such field visits.
Ms. Kah also pledged J4PD’s commitment to advocating to the Bauchi State Government for a budget line for MPCDSR with a view to institutionalizing the concept at all levels of health care, the community and down to household level.
She then said that every participant is now aware that MPCDRS is a medical health audit concept designed to identify the causes of deaths in pregnant women, new-born and under five children, with a view to forestalling reoccurrences of such deaths.
Earlier speaking at the commencement of training , USAID IHP TO3 Technical Director Dr. Ibrahim Alhassan Kabo explained that the training was aimed at evolving ways to reduce the burden of MPCDSR in the state in particular and the country at large considering the trend of deaths during childbirth.
Kabo stated that equipping journalists with skills and knowledge to improve competency in investigating and reporting issues around MPCDRS cannot be overemphasized considering the changing trend in health reporting for quality MNCH.
He said that reporting MPCDRS is evidence based, using data generated to serve as an advocacy materials, to bring attention on the direct and indirect causes of Maternal, Newborn and Child (MNCH) deaths in Bauchi State and the country at large.
Dr. Kabo then urged the journalists attending this training to take the advantage of getting first-hand information regarding the concept of MPCDRS as a program designed to generate information on maternal, neonatal and child mortality and morbidity to forestall future deaths.
In her remarks, Secretary, Bauchi State Steering Committee on MPCDSR, Zuwaira Baba, said she was excited and thrilled on the interest of J4PD in the activities of the Committee on MPCDSR and also looking forward to a productive collaboration for the overall goal of reducing deaths of women and children in Bauchi State.
She also disclosed that with the support of implementation partners, 17 secondary health facilities have been reporting MPCDSR since 2022, but however added that, to scale up report and expedite action, fresher training was ongoing in 25 secondary health facilities and 13 primary health centres across the state.
Our correspondent reports that one of the key outcomes of the training was the development of Six Months work plan by the participants, with specific focus on MPCDSR, Quality of Care / Quality Improvement at primary healthcare facilities and other related MNCH components.