Islamic perspectives of reproductive and maternal health: what role can Nigerian Muslim religious leaders play in the prevention of maternal mortality? –With Particular Reference to Zamfara State NorthWest Nigeria

Reproductive and Maternal health are an important components of public health and medicine which are concerned with the complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing in all matters regarding reproductive system and health of mother especially during pregnancy.It implies ensuring that all women receive the care they need to be safe and healthy throughout pregnancy, childbirth and beyond. However, according to World Health Organization, millions of women all over the world do not have access to good quality health services during pregnancy and childbirth resulting in mortalities. Islam is a complete way of life. The Qur’an and Hadith consider pregnancy and child bearing as signs among other signs of the divine existence of Allah.The importance of maternal and reproductive is thus not unexplained in the Islamic perspectives. The study look at what role Muslim religious leaders can play in the prevention of maternal deaths and morbidities in developing countries. A qualitative study was conducted through in-depth interviews and focus groups discussion with a purposive sample of some Muslim religious leaders from Gusau local government area of Zamfara state northwest Nigeria in order to elicit information about the Islamic perspectives of reproductive and maternal health and the roles they can play in the prevention of maternal deaths among the Muslim communities. Muslim Religious leaders have a crucial role and contribution for the attainment and maintenance of good heath of women and children among Muslim communities through public enlightenment in the context of ‘ilm’, providing guidance through ‘Fatwah’ and community mobilization in the spirit brotherhood ‘ukhuwah’.Islam does not accept the “preventable death of a woman” due to childbirth or pregnancy. Thus, Islam encourages attendance of antenatal care visits and health care seeking

Glance into solid-state transformer technology: a mirror for possible research areas

Solid-State Transformer (SST), a power electronics based transformer is an emerging technology in electric power system. The transformer is being investigated to completely replace existing Line/Low Frequency Transformer (LFT). SST is composed of either of the two topologies: AC-DC-AC, two steps approach; or AC-AC, single-step approach. The two steps approach consists of three stages: AC-DC; DC-DC; and DC-AC stages. The DC-DC stage is made up of a boost DC-DC converter, a DC-AC inverter and a High Frequency Transformer, HFT. Therefore, SST performs the tasks of LFT by means of power electronic converters and HFT.  The main essence of SST is to provide solution to the problem of bulkiness and heaviness of the LFT in the power distribution network. This is with the view to providing reduction in construction cost, cost of maintenance and transportation. The power electronics transformer provides numerous advantages which are grouped into: The transformer has high power density; it functions in blackouts and brownouts; and it provides easy means of distributed renewable energy integration into associated grid. Therefore, this paper provides a glance into the technology of the SST for its better understating and promotion of research activities in the area

Intervention programmes and policies for maternal mortality reduction in Zanfara State, Northwest, Nigeria: a review 2005-2015

Estimates indicate that Nigeria has more than 50,000 maternal deaths annually, while many key maternal health indicators have remained stagnant or have worsened over the last decade, and coverage and utilization of key interventions are correspondingly low. The maternal mortality in Nigeria is 576 per 100,000 live births according to Nigeria demographic health survey 2013.This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods as well as secondary data to review the interventions program and policies for the reduction of maternal mortality in Zamfara state. The results indicated that socio-cultural issues, non-utilization of health facilities and preference for home deliveries by mothers remain some of the major reasons for the high maternal deaths. Other institutional factors include insufficient manpower and frontline health care workers. There are obvious gaps in policies, funding and political commitment, poverty, weakened capacity of public institutions, low literacy levels and other entrenched negative health seeking behaviours

The Islamic religious leaders as health promoters: improving maternal health in selected communities of Zamfara State, Nigeria

The project targeted Islamic religious leaders (ISOLs) through transformative interventions such as leadership development forums, health promotion and education training activities to the Islamic religious leader, who in return informed and educated their followership including men and women of reproductive age groups in order to help improve the maternal health situation and reduce maternal mortality in Zamfara states. Methods: a total of 100 Islamic religious leaders were engaged and exposed to health promotion and education trainings and community mobilization activities through the (IIUM/HPPMM) which was implemented in some selected intervention urban and rural communities of Zamfara State to women in reproductive age groups. Results revealed that there was an increase in some key output indicators such as antenatal care (ANC) attendance and contraceptive use among these women, delivery at the health facility also increased when compared with the control communities where no such interventions were carried out by the Islamic religious leaders and the project. The intervention rural facilities experienced an uptake in contraceptive use, ANC attendance and facility deliveries while the control sites saw no increase in uptake. Findings of particular significance in the rural facilities include the sharp increase in contraceptive use in the intervention compared to the control community facility. In the overall there is increase in ANC attendance in all the intervention rural and urban facilities compared to control sites. In conclusions: The findings of this analysis suggest that the (IIUM/HPPMM) Health Promotion and Prevention of Maternal Mortality Research and Leadership Development Project which assumes a health communication role for Islamic religious leaders has indeed contributed to the uptake of FP/RH services

The health MDGs in Zanfara state with emphasis on maternal mortality 2010-2015: perspectives and challenges

The Nigerian government has demonstrated commitments for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals particularly the Health MDGs with an emphasis on reducing maternal mortality. Yet Nigeria along with other developing countries especially in Sub-Saharan Africa could not achieve most the health related targets. Maternal mortality is still unacceptably high with Nigeria contributing to about more than 10% of the global burden of maternal deaths at 576/100.000 live births. Nothern Nigeria continued to have the highest maternal mortality ratio compared to the south states of the country. Zamfara State has one of the highest rates in the northwest second next to Kano State. This study aims to examine some of the challenges of achieving the health MDGs targets in Zamfara State with a particular reference to maternal deaths in the states. Data for this study were collected through qualitative method facilities based approached and review of secondary data. The results of the study showed high maternal deaths at the health facilities and low hospital utilization and health facility deliveries. The causes for high maternal deaths are both direct medical and indirect causes. Some of the medical causes include Hemorrhage, eclampsia sepsis and malaria, while the indirect and non medical causes include socio-cultural and economic factors. These are some of the challenges faced in achieving the MDG target of reducing maternal deaths in Zamfara State. With the new UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs). States in the north like Zamfara needs to re-strategize efforts to improve on the health SDGs especially the maternal health

Maternal mortality and the implementation of maternal health policies in Zamfara state: challenges and issues

The Nigerian health system operates within the federal design of its political system. The 1988 National Health Policy revised in 1996 and 2004 lays out the different functions within the system. The Federal Ministry of Health is responsible for defining the overall policy framework for the health system of the whole country. There is a wide geographical variation on maternal mortality in Nigeria, with the north having a far higher rate compared to the south. The North-west zone has one of the highest figures of 1,549/100,000 almost ten times that of the south-western zone (165/100,000). The rural area, where most of Nigerians live, has a higher maternal mortality ratio (828 deaths per 100,000 live births) compared to the urban areas (351 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births). The leading causes of maternal mortality were eclampsia, sepsis, postpartum haemorrhage, antepartum haemorrhage, unsafe abortion, obstructed labour and heart failure. Also several intermediate social and cultural factors account for many of these deaths. In the face of these challenges, there have been efforts on the part of the Government of Nigeria and states to improve the health status of women and children. Data for this study were collected through review of secondary data; facilities based approached and questionnaire administration. The results of the study showed that there are several maternal health policies launched in Zamfara State and Nigeria but are faced with several challenges and issues of implementation. Zamfara State has put in place several interventions policies and programmes in order to improve the maternal health situation in the state and reduce maternal mortality. Many of the respondents interviewed are aware of some of the policies or their implementation. However, respondents are of the opinion that there are inadequate staff and equipment to cater for the maternal health services in the state. It is concluded that maternal mortality in Zamfara State still remain high and even higher than the national average of 576 according to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey of 2013 despite the implementation of some of these policies

Health care seeking behavior of pregnant women in Gusau Metropolis of Zamfara State, Northern Nigeria

Purpose: The objectives of the study were to determine the health care seeking behavior and the barriers to hospital delivery of pregnant women in Gusau metropolis of Zamfara State, Northwest Nigeria. Also the study was to identify those factors that prevent women from delivering at the hospital and access care. Methods: The study used both survey and qualitative technique. In the survey a descriptive cross sectional survey involving with patients based on a structured questionnaire format with answer sets was used to ask about (N=826) pregnant women attending antenatal care at some clinics in Gusau metropolis about how, why, where and when they seek care and how they perceive certain illness during pregnancy. While about 6 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted at the health facilities targeting the pregnant women in order to understand their illness behavior and perception to facility delivery. During the FGDs notes were taken and answers recorded using a tape recorder and video. Results: 87.9% of the respondents said they attend Antenatal care clinics (ANC) regularly and many of the respondents have some knowledge of complications during pregnancy, N=177 reported having headache, N=221 and N=227 reported having fever and swelling of legs respectively.87.1% of those attending ANC indicated that they will seek care at hospital or clinic. Though, responses in the FGDs, many of the respondents indicated that they seek care at health facility but will however not want to deliver at the hospital. Conclusion: There is a remarkable improvement in attendance of ANC by pregnant women but yet the hospital delivery is very low and not exciting as many women wished to deliver at home rather than in the hospital. Also many of the women’s perception about their health or illness during pregnancy are that they think it is normal to be sick and therefore not necessary to visit the clinic. There is still high preference for home delivery among the pregnant women in Zamfara State, with a consequent increased in maternal deaths unreported

Determination of hand grip strength and its correlates during pregnancy : a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Pregnancy results in many changes, including reduced hand grip strength (HGS). However, good HGS is required for physical functions such as carrying and breastfeeding the baby after birth. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that may predict HGS during pregnancy. Methods The study was a cross-sectional study approved by the Research Ethics Committees of Kano State Ministry of Health and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano, north-west, Nigeria. Pregnant women at the designated hospitals were included in the study if they had no serious comorbidities or any known neurological condition that affects the hands and the neck. Demographic characteristics and independent (predictor) variables (age, weight, height, BMI, maternity leave status, number of full-term deliveries, number of preterm deliveries, number of live births, number of abortuses, gravidity, trimester, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, inter arm systolic BP difference [IASBP], inter arm diastolic BP difference [IADBP], and heart rate) of each of the participants were recorded by experienced therapists. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient and standard multiple regression. Result One hundred and sixty-one pregnant women with mean age, 25.04 ± 4.83 years participated in the study. In the dominant hand, 120 participants (74.5%) had weak grip strength. In the non-dominant hand, 135 participants (83.9%) had weak grip strength. For the dominant hand, the total variance explained by the whole model was significant, 28.5%, F(11, 161) = 1.187, R2 = 0.081, p = 0.300 . In the final model, none of the variables significantly predicted HGS. However, systolic blood pressure contributed to the model more than any other variable (Beta = -0.155). For the non-dominant hand, the total variance explained by the whole model was not significant, 33.1%, F(11, 161) = 1.675, R2 = 0.111, p = 0.089 . In the final model, only systolic blood pressure (Beta = -0.254, p = 0.023) significantly predicted hand grip strength. Conclusion Cardiovascular events or changes during pregnancy (such as change in systolic blood pressure) may be related to HGS in pregnant women. It is therefore, important for clinicians to pay attention to this, in planning rehabilitation strategies for pregnant women