African Journal of Public Health and Health Systems | 11 January 2003
Impact of Clean Delivery Kit Provision and Training on Puerperal Sepsis in Home Births: A Brief Report from the Niger Delta, Nigeria
C, h, i, n, w, e, O, k, o, n, k, w, o
Abstract
Puerperal sepsis remains a leading cause of maternal mortality in Nigeria, particularly in remote riverine communities of the Niger Delta where home births are prevalent and access to sterile supplies is limited. This brief report assessed the effect of a community-based intervention, providing clean delivery kits and training, on the incidence of puerperal sepsis among women having home births in these settings. A programme was implemented across selected riverine communities. Community health workers distributed clean delivery kits containing essential sterile items and provided training on clean birth practices to expectant mothers and traditional birth attendants. Data on self-reported symptoms of puerperal sepsis were collected from participating women following home delivery and compared with retrospective data from a similar period prior to the intervention. The intervention was associated with a reduction in reported symptoms of puerperal sepsis. Preliminary analysis indicated a decrease of approximately 40% in suspected cases among programme participants compared to the pre-intervention period. Provision of clean delivery kits coupled with training appears to be a feasible and effective strategy for reducing puerperal sepsis risk in home birth settings within resource-constrained riverine communities. Scale-up of integrated clean delivery kit distribution and community health worker training should be considered for similar settings. Further robust study is warranted to confirm these observations. puerperal sepsis, clean delivery kit, home birth, maternal health, Niger Delta, Nigeria This report provides preliminary field evidence from a hard-to-reach region on the potential of a simple, community-based intervention to improve birth outcomes.