A team of Nigerian researchers and clinicians, led by Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, has made significant progress in understanding maternal and newborn health through a groundbreaking data initiative. In collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health launched the Maternal and Perinatal Database and Dignity Programme (MPD-4-QED) in 2019 to assess the quality of care provided to women and newborns in 54 referral-level hospitals across all 36 states.
This initiative, the first of its kind in Nigeria, employs an online, real-time data collection system to track critical indicators such as cesarean section rates, labor companionship, and breastfeeding at discharge. Findings from the program have been compiled into a supplement in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, offering unprecedented insights into maternal and newborn health patterns and causes of mortality.
The supplement, titled Beyond the Numbers: Quality of Perinatal Care for Mothers and Babies in Nigerian Referral-Level Facilities, includes 10 papers analyzing data on issues such as early pregnancy loss, preterm birth, postpartum hemorrhage, birth asphyxia, neonatal jaundice, and sepsis. These studies demonstrate how harmonized data systems can drive timely, life-saving interventions by identifying gaps in care and enabling targeted healthcare improvements.
Despite reaching healthcare facilities, many women and newborns still face preventable deaths due to delays in receiving adequate care. The data highlights the potential of well-timed interventions to improve survival rates.
Dr. Olufemi Oladapo of WHO emphasized the importance of empowering local researchers to ensure evidence aligns with local realities, fostering impactful health policies. Similarly, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, Head of WHO’s Nigeria Office, highlighted the program’s potential to strengthen healthcare systems and infrastructure.
The findings underscore the vital role of robust data systems in shaping healthcare policies and interventions to reduce maternal and newborn mortality in Nigeria.
