Sodiq Ojuroungbe
The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom in partnership with the Wellbeing Foundation Africa have initiated the second batch of the advanced training sessions for examiners affiliated with the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.
This collaborative effort, aimed at enhancing the expertise of medical professionals in Obstetrics and Surgical Skills, is expected to make significant strides in improving healthcare quality and addressing the country’s alarming maternal and neonatal mortality rates.
The training held at the project’s Centre of Excellence, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, began on Monday with 24 participants, 8 facilitators, 3 LSTM team members, and 2 team members from WBFA.
In his open remarks at the inauguration of the training, the Country Director for LSTM Nigeria, Dr Hauwa Mohammed urged the participants to engage actively, assuring them of an enriching training experience.
She explained that the programme launched in February 2024, aimed at enhancing maternal and child healthcare outcomes across Nigeria.
The country director said LSTM and WBFA is committed to strengthening healthcare systems and supporting sustainable development goals.
According to her, the collaboration underscores LSTM and WBFA’s dedication to fortifying healthcare systems and advancing sustainable development goals in Nigeria.
The course director, Dr Helen Allott, facilitated introductions and established ground rules for the training before delving into the course curriculum.
PUNCH Healthwise had earlier reported that LSTM and WBFA announced a new partnership to strengthen obstetric training for resident doctors in Nigeria.
The collaboration, funded by the Global Health Workforce Programme, seeks to enhance emergency obstetric and newborn care and establish two centres of excellence for advanced training in Nigeria.
The LSTM’s Emergency Obstetrics and Quality of Care Unit, which has extensive experience in delivering maternal and newborn health capacity-strengthening interventions across sub-Saharan Africa, will lead the project.
According to the World Health Organisation, Nigeria recorded over 800 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and a neonatal mortality rate of 33 per 1,000 live births in 2019.
Also, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammed Pate, recently said that 57,000 mothers died from pregnancy-related complications during childbirth in 2023 alone.
He noted that one of the leading causes of maternal mortality is postpartum haemorrhage, which accounts for a significant proportion of maternal deaths worldwide.
Pate added that the mortality rate among newborns, often attributed to birth asphyxia and complications related to premature births is equally alarming.
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