By Victoria OJEME

Effective community mobilisation has been identified as an  essential tool in  achieving drastic drop in the nation’s maternal and child mortality rates.

Stating this in a chat, Dr Richard Effiong a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, observed there is no doubt  community mobilization will play a very important role in the reduction of maternal mortality, noting that the role of doctors most often is restricted to hospitals and they are not doing so much in communities.

He said: “It is really a responsibility of Ministry of Health to ensure that awareness is created in communities concerning the programmes. You don’t expect doctors to go out and create awareness.  You know that requires mobilisation and it is the ministry that are in a position to do that to create awareness concerning programmes of the Ministry on health conditions and what people should do in order to protect their health.”

In his argument, Effiong said the quality of institutional support to the nation’s health care system is  crucial to  success of the MDGs, particularly against the backdrop of constant stand off between government and medical workers over poor remuneration as well as for agitation for better infrastructure in the sector.

He advocated a better working synergy between policy makers, in government and within the health care sector because they have the resources needed to drive these programmes.

He identified malnutrition as a major contributory factor to the rise in maternal and child mortality, and called for interventions that will make expectant mothers, less vulnerable.

On the penchant for many expectant women to register late for  antenatal care, he cautioned against the practice advising that a woman ought to begin to attend antenatal care as soon as possible because some complications  can develop quite early in pregnancy.

One advantage of early antenatal care, he added, is the early detection and treatment pregnancy related complications, which could save the life of mother and child.