By Sola Ogundipe

In an attempt to check the menace of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, and its potential effects on maternal and child health issues in Nigeria and environs, Ebola Alert, an organization that uses social media and digital technology to combat Ebola is partnering the Wellbeing Foundation, an organization focused on improving Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, MNCH, issues have implemented a web-based Ebola and Maternal & Child Health initiative  conversation known as #EbolaMNCHat.

Estimates by the UNFPA show that  in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, more than 800,000 women will give birth over the next 12 months. Of these, more than 120,000 could die of complications in pregnancy and  childbirth if life-saving emergency obstetric care is not provided.

At the signing of the #EbolaMNCHat MoU, in Lagos, last week, Vanguard Health Features gathered that the conversation, is scheduled to take place over a six-month duration and will involve fortnightly chat sessions over web-based platforms between experts and key stakeholders.

The #EbolaMNCHat will focus on emerging science of Ebola and how it affects MNCH in the country and beyond, giving priority to emerging issues  as they relateto Ebola and capacity building for healthcare workers on minimizing morbidities and mortalities that may result from the challenges posed by Ebola Virus Disease.

It is expected that the knowledge development exercise will help strengthen evidence and expand knowledge-experience which will be applied by frontline healthcare workers who will be working in the areas of maternal, newborn and child health, in and around Ebola-affected and Ebola-prone areas,  and  also related diseases in developing countries and other parts of the world.

Technical &Policy Head, Wellbeing Foundation, Dr. Luther-King Fasehun,  noted: “Reducing mortalities and morbidities around maternal, newborn and child health has been a major problem for developing countries, with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has simply complicated the entire scene.

“Some of what we know need to be refined within a framework that seeks to build the resilience of our health systems,are no more applicable given the peculiar care process of pregnancy, child birth, and child care.”

Founder, Ebola Alert, Dr. Lawal Bakare noted that “With strategic focus on different pain areas like this, we believe we can start developing capacities that will be supportive in this ongoing Ebola outbreak, and can support emerging protocols applied to ensure a definitive stop to Ebola.”