AKHA Moves To Regulate Activities Of Traditional Birth Attendants

1. Following a disturbing report from UNICEF that over 40,000 women die due to child birth related complications in Nigeria, the 8th Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly is set to regulate activities of traditional birth attendants operating in the state.

In motion brought before the House by the member representing Eket State Constituency, Hon Nsidibe Akata PhD; to consider the fact that
maternal, newborn and child health remains an important public health concerns for the State.

In the motion, the lawmaker further noted with great concern the proliferation of the Traditional Birth Houses/Homes under the operation and management of unskilled Traditional Birth Attendant bearing in mind that the Traditional Birth Houses/Homes operate in very unhygienic and unsafe conditions that further serves to imperil the health of a mother or her baby or both.

The motion sought to integrate Traditional Birth Attendants into a formal training programme in order to improve maternal health in the State.

Four(4) Prayers that formed the Resolution were presented before the House as follows:

1. Registration of Traditional Birth Attendants and Traditional Birth Houses/Homes by Ministry of Health.

2. The Ministry of Health should initiate Training/Retraining of Traditional Birth Attendants and Practitioners in the State.

3. The Ministry of Health to commence immediate closure of Traditional Birth Homes and Houses.

4. Mandate the House Committee on Health to carry out an oversight on the Traditional Birth Homes to ascertain their existence, locations and mode of operation (s).

The prayers 1, 2, & 4, were adopted except prayer number three (3), that was “stood down”. Members were of the opinion that government can’t consider “Closure”, in one hand while in the other hand, planning to train the Attendants, but such can only be effected after the training and retraining of the Attendants and the owners of such Homes decide to flawed all given standards and rules.

In adoption of the motion as moved by the Eket Repreaentative, the House mandated its House Committee on Health to liaise with Ministry of Health to commence registration of Traditional Birth Attendants Houses/Homes in the State with a view to regulating their practices; and also initiate and sustain the training and re-training of Traditional Birth Attendants in the State on safer maternal health practices.

In a related development, the House of Assembly under the speakership of Rt. Hon Udeme Otong has passed a vote of confidence on the state governor, Pastor Umo Eno for his exemplary leadership acumen in the last one year.

In a motion brought before the House by the representative of INI state constituency, Hon Lawrence Udoide highlighted that the governor has displayed exemplary leadership acumen as exemplified in the implementation of the ARISE Agenda Components as follows: the bulk purchase affairs (for food sufficiency; building and donation of Compassionate Homes to less privileged Akwa Ibom men and women; building and equipping of Model Primary Health Centres and Primary Schools across the State; training and empowerment of Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs; operating inclusive government regardless of party lines and place of origin; and implementation of projects regardless of place and party supported by the beneficiaries.

” It is gratifying to note that youths of Akwa Ibom State did not participate in the end-bad-governance protest as testimony to the leadership and development strides of His Excellency Governor Umo Eno”