|
|
|
|
Nigeria: Feature StoriesNigeria Overview | Current Projects | Publications | Feature Stories
New Technology Saves Nigerian Women’s Lives
July 22, 2008
A nurse midwife during the Katsina training demonstrates application of the NASG on a fellow nurse | Kano, Nigeria: Early in the morning of their second day of training for Pathfinder International’s Continuum of Care: Addressing Postpartum Hemorrhage in India and Nigeria project, local medical providers at Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital received an emergency call to the labor room. Kande, a 31-year-old mother of three, had been brought in bleeding profusely after an unassisted delivery at home that ended in a stillbirth and a retained placenta. She was incredibly disoriented and her blood pressure and pulse were dangerously low. Kande was also severely anemic. Staff at the hospital were worried—these were life-threatening signs. However, the providers-in-training, with the help of previously trained medical staff, were ready to act using a new technology Pathfinder is helping to introduce in Nigeria: the non-pneumatic anti-shock garment (NASG).*
After assessing Kande’s condition, doctors quickly moved her to a delivery bed to begin wrapping her in the garment. The NASG was swathed around Kande’s legs and abdomen, which created pressure in the lower extremeties in order to restore blood flow to her vital organs, and allowed doctors time to prepare her for surgery. Kande’s vital signs improved almost immediately. The providers-in-training, who had not seen the NASG used during an emergency, were amazed and excited about the dramatic response. One of the attendants even nick-named the garment the “King’s Gown” in deference to its impressive abilities.
That same day, Fatima, a 20-year-old mother was brought into another Pathfinder-supported labor ward by her grandmother. Fatima was approximately 7-8 months pregnant and had bled through the night. Upon arrival, she was unconscious with no pulse. The team on call immediately applied the NASG. Within 15 minutes, her blood pressure had improved significantly and she was stable enough to be booked for an emergency procedure. When asked about Fatima’s previous delivery, her grandmother told the head doctor that it had taken place at home, assisted only by “the grace of God.”
One of the training participants in Kano practices the application on another participant | With Pathfinder Nigeria’s help, both Kande and Fatima were able to access care and treatment in time, however thousands of others are not. Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world with 1,100 deaths per 100,000 live births (WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA/World Bank 2005). Many factors contribute to this high figure, including the prevalence of unattended births, inability to identify danger signs early on, and the difficulty of accessing appropriate services in time.
Pathfinder is working to address the range of needs pregnant women and their communities face through the Continuum of Care project. The continuum of care model incorporates, as needed, active management of the third stage of labor including administration of a uterotonic (an appropriate drug to contract the womb after birth); a blood collection drape (which measures blood loss and can signal when a woman is in danger); the NASG; and, improved communication and transportation systems to help move women to emergency care. The project also engages in sustained advocacy throughout communities to lay groundwork for the further expansion of these intervention technologies.
Course tutors in Katsina train participants on the use of the blood drape and plevic model | Currently in Nigeria, Pathfinder is training doctors, midwives, and other hospital providers to use the garment to help save the lives of women with postpartum hemorrhage and to implement the continuum of care model. Through the incorporation of this innovative new technology into its training and programming, Pathfinder aims to reduce maternal mortality and ensure more women like Kande and Fatima receive the care they need.
*The NASG was originally introduced in Nigeria during clinical studies by Drs. Suellen Miller and Oladosu Ojengbede. With the support of an $11 million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and in partnership with Drs. Miller, Ojengbede, and Stacie Geller, Pathfinder is initiating use of the garment as part of a large scale intervention in eight states throughout Nigeria.
Back to top 
|
|
|
