Availability of Essential Medicines in Healthcare Facilities Offering Maternal and Reproductive Healthcare Services in Nigeria

Background: The availability of essential medicines is important in preventing maternal and child deaths. This study assessed the availability of essential medicines in healthcare facilities offering maternal and reproductive healthcare services in Nigeria. Method: This study was cross-sectionally designed using structured interviewer-administered survey questions and site inspections. The study was conducted across all States in Nigeria except three states (Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe) that had security challenges. The survey was carried out between May and July 2019. The data were analysed with IBM-SPSS version 25.0. Results: The mean availability of 17 essential medicines was 58.8%. South-East has a very low availability of 49.1%, North East, South West, and South-South had availability below 60% whereas North-West (71.8%) and North-central (60.2%) had higher availability (

Implementing electronic health system in Nigeria: perspective assessment in a specialist hospital

Background: Perspectives on the pioneering work of Electronic Health Recording (EHR) system in Nigeria was studied Objectives: To determine health workers perception, challenges, motivation and satisfaction with EHR. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross sectional study using structured questionnaire to assess health workers perspective on EHR system at Kogi State Specialist Hospital. Results: A total of 35 consenting health workers with an mean age of 39.4(\ub1 7.6) years using EHR were assessed. The mean daily work hour was 8.0(\ub1 2.4 hours) and median client load per participant was 20 daily. On perceptions, 74.3%, 52.9%, 45.5% and 60.0% were comfortable, well-motivated, satisfied and competent with EHR. The advantages were reduction in transcription cost (88.5%), Paper work (97.1%), administrative cost (91.4%), errors (82.9%) and it captures, provides more services including timely access and ease research in 94.3%, 74.3%, 94.3% and 82.9% respectively. Challenges were threat to patient privacy, poor internet, information overload, power outages, incomplete and inaccurate information in 17.0%, 65.7%, 31.5%, 62.9%, 37.1% and 22.9% respectively. Conclusion: Health workers were comfortable and satisfied with EHR and it eased their work.Scaling up EHR would reduce administrative cost, transcription errors and paper works to mitigate poor quality data from Nigeria a great contributor to global morbidities/mortalitie

Comparative analysis of family planning services in urban and rural health facilities in Nigeria

Aim: This study aimed to compare family planning (FP) services in urban and rural health facilities in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The study is a cross-sectional study conducted in 204 rural and 198 urban health facilities comprising 182 primary and 216 secondary facilities in Nigeria. A FP client was randomly selected from each of the facilities, and structure questionnaires were used to collect information from them. Data collected include the various types of contraception available, waiting time, and satisfaction with services. Data were analyzed with IBM-SPSS Statistics Version 25.0. Results: The most requested contraceptives methods were injectables (48.2%) and oral contraceptives (22.6%). Most clients in both the rural (76.0%) and urban (76.3%) waited 0.05). Conclusion: There is a need for an improvement in waiting time and quality of services offered in health facilities. Policymakers should to carry out regular supervision of health facilities and ensure availability of contraceptives in the health facilities at affordable prices in order to improve FP uptake in Nigeria

Estimation of maternal mortality ratio with sisterhood method in six local government areas of Oyo State, Nigeria

Background: The reduction of maternal mortality rate has been the top priority of global health, yet its persistently high rate in Africa is a severe issue that requires the attention of both the individual and policymakers. Objective: To determine the maternal mortality rate by applying the sisterhood method in six local government areas in Oyo State. Materials and Methods: The indirect sisterhood method was used to collect data concerning maternal mortality. For study purposes, the data were collected from women in the reproductive age group between 15 and 49 years using a structured questionnaire. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25.0 software was used for analyzing the collected data. Results: It has been observed that the average maternal mortality rate in the six local government areas was 489/100,000 live births ranging from 346 to 756/100,000 live births. The highest maternal mortality rate was found in Iseyin local government area (756/100,000 live births), followed by 586/100,000 from Saki, 444 from Ibadan North, 430 from Ogbomosho, 374 from Atiba, and the least value of 346/100,000 live births in Ibadan North local government area. Conclusion: The maternal mortality rate has been found lower than the previous studies but still unacceptably high, especially among adolescents aged 15–39 years. Therefore, it is advocated that policymakers employ appropriate interventions such as the release of more funds for standard family planning and childbirth spacing programs to minimize maternal mortality in the state