Local Government Legislators’ Awareness and Political Strategies for Maternal Mortality Reduction in Ibadan, Nigeria

Ademola Adelekan, University of Ibadan

The political commitment needed for Maternal Mortality (MM) reduction in Nigeria is low. This study was therefore designed to determine the political strategies needed for MM reduction in Ibadan, Nigeria. The study was conducted in all the Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Ibadan. All 110 consenting Legislators were interviewed using a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square were used for analysis. Respondents’ mean age was 36.5 ± 7.2 years and 81.8% were males. Some (39.1%) were not aware that MM is high in Nigeria. Majority (60.9%) were aware of women who died during pregnancy or childbirth in their LGAs. Suggested political strategies for MM reduction included training workshop for political leaders (100%) and provision of evidence to show political leaders that MM is a public health problem (87.3%). Legislators’ awareness of maternal mortality was low. Advocacy and the integration of their suggestions into control efforts have potential for ameliorating the problem.