Clinical M edicine and Diagnostics 2013, 3(2): 29-51 DOI: 10.5923/j.cmd.20130302.03
Emergency Obstetric Care: Urban Versus Rural Comparison of Health Workers’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice in River State, Nigeria- Implications for Maternal Health Care in Rivers State Ebuehi Olufunke Margaret1,*, Chinda Grace Nkechinyere 2 , Sotunde Oludolapo Muibat3 , Oyetoyan Solomon Adeyanju4 1
Reproductive and International Health Unit, Department of Community Health and Primary Care College of M edicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria 2 Rivers State M inistry of Health, Port Harcourt, Rivers State 3 Primary Health Care Department, Local Government Secretariat, Lagos M ainland Local Government, Lagos State 4 Primary Health Care Department, Local Government Secretariat, Badagry Local Government, Lagos State
Abstract In Nigeria, an estimated 545 maternal deaths occur for every 100,000 live births. Within the country, gaps exist
between urban and rural areas, with more maternal deaths occurring in the rural areas. The knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of Emergency Obstetric care (EmOC) among health care providers, are important determinants of the quality and outcome of care. The study determined and compared the KAP of EmOC among health care providers in urban and rural public secondary health facilities in River state, South-south Nigeria; and also assessed the availability of resources for EmOC p rovision.Informat ion was obtained from 304 doctors and nurses, using a pre-tested, self-ad min istered questionnaire and a facility checklist was used to obtain relevant informat ion about resource availability fo r EmOC in 13 health facilities. Data were analysed using EPI-INFO version 3.5.1. Findings showed that more (28.9%) respondents from urban facilities had good knowledge of EmOC than their rural counterparts (16.4%). More respondents (96.1%) fro m ru ral facilities had positive attitude compared to the urban counterparts, (93.4%), however more urban respondents (77%) reported good practice compared to 40.8% in rural facilities. Approximately a third of respondents (urban: 28.5%, rural: 33.1%) reported having obstetric protocols in their facilities. A mean o f 7.5 obstetricians/gynecologists were employed in the 4 urban co mpared to 0.3 in the 9 rural facilities. More deficits in meeting the criteria for Co mprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care (CEmOC) were seen in the rural than the urban facilit ies; as at study time, all rural facilities neither had capacity for managing complications that could arise fro m pregnancy-induced hypertension nor a blood bank. Findings revealed that urban health workers demonstrated better knowledge and practices than their rural counterparts. Resources were inadequate in both areas albeit better in urban facilities. Regular train ing and re-training of staff on EmOC, with adequate and equitable d istribution of resources between urban and rural facilities is reco mmended.
Keywords
Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOc), Knowledge, Attitude, Pract ice, Urban and Rural
1. Introduction Co mbating maternal mortality and morb idity is a global problem that demands policies and political co mmit ments; strategy formu lation and implementation; and imp roved health care service delivery and management. There is now an international consensus that making pregnancy and delivery safer includes ensuring that women, who experience * Corresponding author:
[email protected] (Olufunke M. Ebuehi) Published online at http://journal.sapub.org/cmd Copyright © 2013 Scientific & Academic Publishing. All Rights Reserved
obstetric comp licat ions, receive the medical care they need on time. The Un ited Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has identified Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC), to ensure timely access to care for wo men experiencing co mplications as one of the three strategies to reducing maternal mortality[1]. The other two strategies are family planning to ensure that every birth is wanted and skilled care by a health professional with mid wifery skills, for every pregnant wo man during pregnancy and childbirth. Emergency obstetric care (EmOC) is defined as a set of life saving services that must be available in health facilities to respond to emergencies that arise during pregnancy, delivery or postpartum.[2] Emergency services are needed to
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Ebuehi Olufunke M argaret et al.: Emergency Obstetric Care: Urban Versus Rural Comparison of Health Workers’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice in River State, Nigeria- Implications for M aternal Health Care in Rivers State
handle potentially life-threatening, direct obstetric complications that affect an estimated 15% of wo men during pregnancy, at delivery, or in the postpartum period even in developed countries[3]. ‘About fifteen per cent of all pregnancies will result in comp lications. Most complications occur randomly across all pregnancies, both high- and low-risk. They cannot be accurately predicted and most often cannot be prevented, but they can be treated’[1] In 1987, the Safe Motherhood Initiative was launched; it sought to reduce the burden of maternal mortality especially in developing countries. In the application and implementation of these strategies, undue emphasis was placed on predicting and preventing obstetric comp licat ions, rather than effective and efficient management of these complications when they arise. While today, strategies are more appropriately focused. It is essential that pregnant wo men in who m co mplications develop have access to the med ical interventions of emergency obstetric care to ensure favourable maternal and foetal outcomes. Research has shown that for every maternal death, there is a potential death of a child, increase in child labour, illness, malnutrit ion, social isolation and poor hygiene[4],[5]. There is also, dissolution and reconstitution of the family unit, reduced productivity and loss of output.[4] An estimated figure of over five hundred thousand (>500,000) wo men d ie yearly fro m pregnancy related comp licat ions, about ninety nine percent (99%)[4] of these deaths take p lace in developing countries; where a wo man’s lifet ime risk of dying fro m pregnancy and related co mp licat ions is almost 40 times greater than that of her counterparts in developed countries.[4] It has also been noted that “for every wo man who dies, an estimated 15 to 30 wo men suffer fro m ch ronic illnesses or injuries as a result of their pregnancies”[1] all of these are preventable. Nearly all these lives could be saved if affordable, good-quality obstetric care were available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.[1] The 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey estimated maternal mo rtality ratio to be 545 deaths per 100,000 live births.[6] These deaths are due to direct and indirect obstetric complications with the direct complications accounting for about seventy five percent (75%)[7] of maternal deaths in the developing countries. Eighty six percent (86%) of these direct obstetric deaths are caused by five major med ical co mp licat ions: haemorrhage (28%); co mplications of unsafe abortion (19%); pregnancy-induced hypertension (17%); obstructed labour (11%); and infection (11%).[7] A co mplication can be defined in pract ical terms as an event of sufficient severity that staff must respond with a life-saving procedure or referral to another facility. The response required for these direct obstetric comp licat ions have been identified as the “signal functions of emergency obstetric care”. The fifth (5th) M illenniu m Develop ment Goal is aimed at improving maternal health through reduction of maternal mortality and provision of universal access to reproductive health by 2015. It seeks to achieve a 5.5% annual decline in
MMR fro m 1990 levels. Globally the annual percentage decline in MMR between 1990 and 2008 was only 2.3% thus making the attainment of the goal difficult.[5] The maternal mortality rat io in Nigeria is unacceptably high and should be a concern of every Nigerian at all levels of governance; policymaking and imp lementation; service delivery and management. Maternal mortality reduction has been described as a key developmental goal (M DG 5) and as a basic human right. If staff in a facility cannot recognize a condition that requires an emergency action, quality of care will be undermined;[2] it is worse tragedy if these conditions are identified and yet there is a “want” of skill or knowledge of what to do. 1.1. Review of Some Studies done in Nigeria A study done in Osun and Ekiti states in Nigeria, among primary and secondary levels obstetric care providers, revealed a poor knowledge of EmOC. An alarming 91% of providers had poor knowledge of the concept. The study also assessed the operatives’ preferred strategies and practices for safe motherhood and averting maternal mo rtality; 70% of respondents still preferred the strengthening of routine ANC services to the provision of access to EmOC for all pregnant wo men who need it. There was gross disparity in what is said to be practiced and what was actually practiced based on the structured observations done, 40% o f the staff reported counseling clients on complication readiness but the structured observation revealed no staff did. On ly 9% o f the staff had ever been trained in life saving skills.[8]In another study done also in South- West geo-political zone of Nigeria, only 32.3% of obstetric care providers used partograph in monitoring labour, and only 37.3% of obstetric care providers, who were predo minantly fro m tert iary level of care, could correctly mention at least one component of the partograph. The partograph is a cheap and efficient tool for monitoring active phase of labour, and aids early detection and prompt management of obstetric co mplications. It is a mandatory intra-partum tool for all health facilit ies providing matern ity services in the Women and Child Friendly Health Services (WCFHS) in itiat ive.[9] In yet another study done in the South-West region of Nigeria to assess the changing patterns of critical obstetric care, a two consecutive 3 year period retrospective study was done. In this study, the definition of near miss morbidity was based on validated disease-specific criteria. Results revealed 175 near misses and 27 maternal deaths in 1999– 2001 and 211 near misses and 44 maternal deaths in 2002–2004. The “critically ill obstetric patient”- cause specific case fatality rates (CIOP-CFRs) for the two periods showed a declining (but non-significant) trend in the standard of emergency obstetric care for life-threatening conditions (13.4% to 17.3%, P=0.250). The CIOP-CFR for postpartum hemorrhage significantly increased fro m 3.1% to 21.1% in the 2nd period (P=0.033), reflect ing a decline in the standard of care. Lack of blood fo r transfusion became a mo re significant ad ministrative problem in the 2nd period
Clinical M edicine and Diagnostics 2013, 3(2): 29-51
occurring in 17.8% of all critically ill patients managed in 2002–2004. There was a notable though statistically insignificant increase in the non-adherence to treatment protocol among cases of maternal death in 2002–2004 compared with 1999–2001.[10] A nationwide survey of availability of basic emergency obstetric care (BEmOC) in primary healthcare centers with midwives service scheme (MSS) in rural areas in Nigeria revealed that a mean of 70% of the centers had access to antibiotics for the treatment of uncomplicated sepsis; 11% were conducting vacuum extraction; 21% were able to perform manual vacuum aspiration. Only 40% in itiated treatment for pre-eclampsia, and 28% for eclampsia. 36.8% had provision for post abortion care; South-south zone had only less than third of their PHC delivering post abortion care; 21% had a functional manual vacuum aspirator set. The south-south zone had the least of these devices. 30% of midwives service scheme PHC were not treating wo men with uncomplicated sepsis. 27% had magnesium sulphate (MgSO4 ) available; 30% had misoprostol tablets and 12% had anti-shock garment[11]. Similarly, a pre-intervention needs assessment done in a local government of South-West Nigeria revealed a want in skilled health wo rkers in health facilities. A good proportion of health facilit ies (46%) were manned by unskilled health workers, and there was wide spread lack of equip ment and supplies. No facility met the criteria for a basic essential obstetric care; only one private facility (3.8%) met the criteria for a co mprehensive essential obstetric care.[9] 1.2. Review of Some Studies done outsi de Nigeria A study done in Kenya, East Africa, which looked at health workers’ preparedness in the provision of EmOCexp loring the comprehensive knowledge of action to take in the event of retained placenta, unsafe abortion and postpartum haemorrhage. Findings revealed that Less than 25% (60% were classified as good practice and