Marie Stopes Donates Misoclear to Lagos Health Ministry

pharmacy

-Reaffirms commitment to maternal Health

In its commitment to reduce maternal mortality rate in Nigeria, Marie Stopes International Organisation Nigeria (MSION) a leading not for profit organisation, specialised in quality sexual and reproductive health interventions, has donated 14,000 pills of Misoclear, to the Lagos State Ministry of Health, LSMoH.

Presenting the drugs to the Director of Family Health and Nutrition, LSMoH, Dr (Mrs) Folashade Oludara and Reproductive Health Coordinator, LSMoH Dr (Mrs) Victoria Omoera, the Regional Manager, South-West Operations, MSION, Abimbola Faloye said the essence of the donation is to help more women stay alive after delivery.

He said Misoclear is their brand of socially marketed misoprostol, used in the management of postpartum haemorrhage in women after childbirth, as MSION works collaboratively with the government of Nigeria at all levels to promote quality sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Lamenting the high maternal mortality ratio of 451 deaths per 100,000 live births in the country, Faloye said the donation of Misoclear in Lagos and other states will complement the efforts of the federal government at meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to reduce global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.

“Lagos State Ministry of Health is one of our partners in Family Planning and reproductive health and we are one of the strongest implementing partners in reproductive health in the state. Particularly in this era of COVID-19, we are aware that reproductive health is ongoing and whether we like it or not, people are giving birth. Thus Misoclear as a drug of choice for postpartum haemorrhage management, will help prevent maternal mortality, most especially in Lagos.

“With this donation, we believe that we will help prevent needless deaths of women from bleeding after childbirth, one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in Nigeria. Most factors causing maternal deaths are preventable through combines’ safe motherhood strategies of focused antenatal care, immediate post-partum period and access to family planning”, he explained.

Faloye further mentioned the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on couples as it has promoted intimacy among partners, which will definitely result in baby boom in few months to come, without the use of necessary family planning products to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

He said: “Whether we like it or not sexual activity is going on, and there will be conception. In some months to come, we are going to see the effects of the lockdown. Hence we advocate use of various family planning products to prevent unwanted pregnancies”.

Receiving the medicines on behalf of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr (Mrs) Folashade Oludara appreciated Marie Stopes for the good gesture, assuring them of their judicious distribution to the end-users.

She noted that maternal and child health are major areas of focus for the state government, which explains why the government is so delighted with the contributions and partnership of MSION in facilitating improved access to sexual reproductive health to all requiring it.

Speaking on the impact of COVID-19 on maternal health in the state, Oludara said attendance of clinics dropped drastically due to COVID-19 scare among women, but with the engagement of community leaders who meet one-on-one with pregnant women at the grassroots to mobilise their attendance of regular clinics, there was improvement, with the maintenance of social distancing.

She seized the opportunity to urge all stakeholders to emulate the good example of MSION in supporting women in accessing needed reproductive healthcare including family planning services, even now that COVID-19 is changing the way we live and access care.