Reality of maternal health in Nigeria (Part 2)

 

      

Part 1 (see here) suggested that changing behavioural patterns of the women has the potential to save them. Most of the maternal deaths occurring are partially preventable by reducing behavioural risk factors such as poor utilisation of health services, and lack of skilled birth attendant during delivery.

In developed countries, research on the relationship between education and health has highlighted the concept of health literacy. The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined health literacy as “the cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to, understand, and use information in ways that promote and maintain good health.” Basically, it is the degree to which the women of childbearing age have the capacity to get, process and understand essential health information and services needed. Poor health literacy can affect the recognition and understanding of the health problems that can occur during pregnancy. Thereby reducing the chances of the women in surviving any future adverse outcome.

These women can be said to judge risk based on their feelings and emotions, implying that social factors and their cognitive biases can distort risk perception and hinder any risk communication. The issues that arise here are those dealing with how to overcome these biases and factors that impede the women from making proper health care decisions.

The success and failure in reducing maternal mortality lie with the intervention of the government, their willingness to implement policies, public acceptance of the interventions, and willingness to achieve individual change. Every woman has a mental model for making sense of situations and processing of information. These mental models are fragmentary beliefs and perceptions that have been formed over time by interactions and society. So it is only wise for health care professionals and communicators to understand the underlying reasons why the women make certain dangerous health care decisions. This will potentially enhance the effectiveness of any health literacy interventions for the encouragement of proper pregnancy and delivery routes.

There is, therefore, a credible explanation, to demand that communication and advocacy include all the necessary stakeholders of the risk, from the lay people to the experts/policy makers.

As always please feel free to drop your comments.