MamaBase Programme Urges Pregnant Women To Embrace Skilled Delivery, Antenatal Care – THISDAYLIVE

A leading maternal and reproductive health research NGO, the Maternal and Reproductive Health Collective (MRH Collective) through its MamaBase maternal health programme, has intensified efforts to reduce maternal and infant deaths by encouraging pregnant women to seek skilled healthcare services and deliver in health facilities.

Speaking during a community sensitisation programme at the Igbo-Owu primary health care centre in the Mushin area of Lagos on Wednesday, Atinuke Adenekan, Community Maternal Health Coordinator for MRH Collective, said the initiative was established to promote safe motherhood and ensure that both mothers and babies survive pregnancy and childbirth.
According to her, the organisation was founded in 2007 by Professor Bosede Afolabi after she observed the high rate of maternal and infant deaths in Nigeria.

“She saw what was happening to many women. A woman could carry a pregnancy for nine months, only to be told at the end that the baby had died while she survived. We do not want that story anymore. That is why this organisation was established—to promote safe motherhood, where both mother and baby are alive and healthy at the end of pregnancy,” she said.

Adenekan explained that the programme, currently in its second phase, operates in 12 local government areas across Lagos State, including Mushin, Epe, Ikorodu, Alimosho, Ibeju-Lekki, Agege, Apapa and Ojo. She noted that the organisation also reaches remote riverine communities, often travelling by boat to provide support and advocacy services.
She urged community members to encourage pregnant women to register for antenatal care, stressing that complications during pregnancy and childbirth can occur unexpectedly.

Adenekan also warned against relying on outdated childbirth practices or unqualified birth attendants, recounting the case of a woman who lost her baby and her womb after prolonged labour at a facility that lacked adequate medical support.
She emphasised that seeking skilled healthcare during pregnancy remains one of the most effective ways to prevent avoidable deaths and complications.

Also speaking, Josephine Taiwo Igoluba, the Coordinator of MamaBase in Mushin Local Government Area, said the programme identifies and supports vulnerable pregnant women who are unable to afford maternal healthcare services.
According to her, Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) visit communities to identify women facing financial difficulties and link them to the programme.

“We interview the women to understand their circumstances. Some have husbands who have lost their jobs, while others simply cannot afford the cost of healthcare. We support them by paying for antenatal registration, medical tests and ultrasound scans,” she said.
Igoluba explained that beneficiaries are closely monitored throughout pregnancy, with CHEWs providing reminders for antenatal appointments and conducting home visits when necessary.

She added that support continues after childbirth through postnatal follow-up and the provision of baby packs containing essential items such as diapers, baby lotion and towels.

She called on families and communities to support pregnant women in accessing skilled maternal healthcare, saying the goal of MamaBase remains saving the lives of mothers and their babies.