NDDC traditional birth attendants training
The Niger Delta Development Commission has trained traditional birth attendants in Delta State on safer delivery practices as part of efforts to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths across communities in the Niger Delta.
The intervention is designed to improve the ability of traditional birth attendants to recognise pregnancy complications, maintain hygienic delivery conditions and refer women requiring specialised care to qualified health professionals.
The NDDC traditional birth attendants training reflects the reality that many pregnant women in rural and riverine communities still rely on informal caregivers because of distance, cost, cultural preferences and limited access to properly equipped health facilities.
Although traditional birth attendants are not replacements for trained doctors, nurses or midwives, they often serve as the first point of contact for pregnant women in underserved communities.
The commission’s approach is therefore aimed at reducing dangerous practices while strengthening the connection between traditional caregivers and the formal healthcare system.
The training focused on safe delivery, maternal care and the protection of newborn babies during and immediately after childbirth.
Participants were also taught the importance of early referral when a pregnant woman develops warning signs that cannot be safely managed outside a recognised health facility.
NDDC targets preventable childbirth complications
Maternal and newborn deaths remain a serious public health challenge in Nigeria, particularly in communities where access to emergency obstetric care is limited.
The NDDC traditional birth attendants training is intended to address some of the avoidable risks associated with deliveries conducted without skilled medical supervision.
Pregnancy and childbirth complications can develop suddenly, even when a woman appears healthy throughout pregnancy. Severe bleeding, prolonged labour, infection and dangerously high blood pressure require prompt professional attention.
Traditional birth attendants who fail to identify these warning signs may unintentionally delay referrals until a woman’s condition becomes critical.
Training can help attendants understand the limits of their responsibilities and recognise when intervention by a nurse, midwife or doctor is urgently required.
However, medical evidence indicates that programmes involving traditional birth attendants work best when they are supported by functioning referral systems and accessible professional health services.
A major review of traditional birth attendant training found that such programmes showed potential to reduce deaths around the time of birth when combined with improvements in health services.
This means the NDDC intervention must go beyond classroom instruction. Health centres receiving referred patients must have trained personnel, essential medicines, reliable electricity, clean water, delivery equipment and emergency transportation.
Safe delivery practices receive attention
A central component of the NDDC traditional birth attendants training is the promotion of safe and hygienic delivery practices.
Poor hygiene during childbirth can expose mothers and babies to infections. Clean hands, sterile equipment, proper cord care and a safe delivery environment are essential for reducing infection risks.
Participants are expected to apply improved hygiene standards while encouraging pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics and deliver in recognised medical facilities whenever possible.
Antenatal care allows qualified health workers to monitor the health of the mother and baby, identify high-risk pregnancies and prepare families for possible emergencies.
Traditional birth attendants can support this process by encouraging women to register early for antenatal care rather than waiting until labour begins before seeking professional assistance.
They can also help families prepare transportation, identify the nearest suitable health facility and save emergency contact information before the expected delivery date.
The 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey indicated that only about 46 per cent of births in Nigeria were attended by skilled health personnel. The figure demonstrates why informal birth attendants continue to influence maternal healthcare in many communities.
Rather than ignoring their influence, health authorities can engage them as community referral partners while maintaining that complicated pregnancies and deliveries must be handled by qualified professionals.
Early referral could save lives
One of the most important lessons in the NDDC traditional birth attendants training is expected to be the need for early referral.
Delays in deciding to seek care, reaching a suitable facility and receiving appropriate treatment after arrival are widely recognised obstacles to safe motherhood.
A traditional birth attendant may be able to identify unusual bleeding, prolonged labour, severe weakness, convulsions, breathing difficulties or other warning signs. However, recognising the danger is useful only when the patient can be transferred quickly to a properly equipped facility.
The commission should therefore work with state health authorities, local government councils and community leaders to develop clear referral arrangements.
Every trained attendant should know the nearest primary healthcare centre, general hospital and emergency facility capable of managing serious childbirth complications.
Where communities are separated by rivers or poor roads, emergency transport plans should form part of the programme.
The training should also discourage attendants from attempting to manage severe complications with unproven remedies or procedures that could worsen the condition of the mother or child.
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Traditional attendants should support skilled care
The NDDC traditional birth attendants training should not be interpreted as official approval for unqualified personnel to independently manage all pregnancies and deliveries.
Nigeria’s health authorities have consistently emphasised the importance of skilled birth attendance.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has introduced measures to strengthen midwifery education, expand workforce capacity and improve the deployment of midwives to rural and underserved areas.
The federal government has also introduced policy and service-delivery tools under its Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative to improve the quality of care available to women and newborns.
Traditional attendants should therefore operate mainly as community mobilisers, health educators and referral partners.
Their familiarity with local customs and their trusted relationships with women can help health authorities overcome fear, misinformation and cultural resistance.
They can encourage expectant mothers to attend antenatal appointments, accept medical referrals and obtain recommended care after delivery.
This approach allows communities to benefit from the influence of traditional attendants without presenting them as substitutes for trained healthcare professionals.
Monitoring necessary after training
For the NDDC traditional birth attendants training to produce lasting results, the commission must establish a system for supervision and evaluation.
The success of the programme should not be measured only by the number of people trained or certificates distributed.
Authorities should monitor how many pregnant women are referred to recognised health facilities, how quickly emergencies are reported and whether trainees continue to follow safe hygiene practices.
Periodic refresher courses may be necessary to reinforce the lessons and correct unsafe practices.
Each participant should also be linked to a nearby primary healthcare facility and assigned a professional contact who can provide guidance when complications arise.
Accurate record-keeping would enable the NDDC and health authorities to determine whether the intervention is reducing delayed referrals and unsafe deliveries.
It would also help officials identify communities where women still face serious barriers to professional maternal healthcare.
Wider investment in rural healthcare required
The NDDC traditional birth attendants training is a positive intervention, but it cannot replace sustained investment in healthcare infrastructure.
Several Niger Delta communities face difficult terrain, weak transportation systems, inadequate health facilities and shortages of qualified medical personnel.
In such areas, pregnant women may travel considerable distances before reaching a hospital capable of handling emergencies.
Training community-based attendants without addressing these structural problems could produce limited results.
The commission should complement the programme by renovating primary healthcare centres, supplying essential equipment, supporting emergency transport and strengthening partnerships with state ministries of health.
Reliable electricity and clean water are particularly important in facilities providing maternity services.
The NDDC should also collaborate with professional medical associations to ensure that the training content follows established maternal and newborn healthcare standards.
A practical community health intervention
The NDDC traditional birth attendants training acknowledges a difficult but important reality: traditional attendants continue to play a role in childbirth across many Nigerian communities.
Ignoring them will not automatically persuade women to use hospitals. Properly engaging them may help reduce harmful practices and create a pathway from community-based care to professional health services.
The programme’s success will depend on whether trainees consistently refer pregnant women, recognise emergencies early and maintain safe practices.
It will also depend on whether referred patients can reach functioning facilities and receive immediate professional attention.
Reducing maternal and newborn deaths requires cooperation among families, traditional leaders, community health workers, birth attendants, nurses, midwives, doctors and government agencies.
The NDDC initiative can contribute to that effort, but it must be supported by stronger rural health facilities, skilled personnel and dependable emergency referral systems.
For women in isolated Niger Delta communities, the difference between life and death may be the speed with which a complication is recognised and professional care is obtained.
That is the standard by which the long-term impact of the NDDC traditional birth attendants training should ultimately be measured.
