MIDWIVES’ AND MOTHERS’ PERCEPTION OF MIDWIVES SERVICE SCHEME

MIDWIVES’ AND MOTHERS’ PERCEPTION OF MIDWIVES SERVICE SCHEME

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Pregnancy and childbirth are natural physiological processes that bring joy to individuals and families. However, in many parts of the world, pregnancy is a dangerous journey, a risky and potentially fatal experience for millions of women, particularly those in developing countries.

Over 289,000 women die each year from difficulties during pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum period (World Fact Book, 2014; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, and The World Bank, 2014).

Approximately 70% of these deaths are largely treatable or at least preventable (UNICEF, 2010), and nearly all of these deaths (more than 90%) occur in developing countries where fertility rates are higher and a woman’s lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy and childbirth is over 400 times greater than in developed countries (Audu, Takai, &Bukar, 2010).

The situation in Nigeria is particularly dire, with maternal mortality rates as high as 630 per 100,000 live births still recorded (World Health Organisation, UNICEF, & The World Bank, 2014), ranking Nigeria among the countries with the highest number of maternal deaths (WHO, 2010, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) 2009).

Nigeria has only 1% of the world’s population but accounts for approximately 10% of global maternal mortality estimates (FMOH and NPHCDA, 2010).

Newborn and under-five mortality rates follow a similar pattern, with an estimated infant mortality rate of 74/1,000 (Index Mundi, 2014).

This heinous trend has been linked to deliveries being attended by untrained birth attendants (N&MCN Newsletter 2011 & NPHCDA, 2009).

Against this backdrop, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (N&MCN) launched the Midwives Service Scheme [MSS] in 2003, initially as a mandatory service.