THE EFFECT OF NTA IN CHILD’S HEALTH PROGRAM IN PROMOTING THE MATERNAL HEALTH OF WOMEN IN BIDA

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THE EFFECT OF NTA IN CHILD’S HEALTH PROGRAM IN PROMOTING THE MATERNAL HEALTH OF WOMEN IN BIDA

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that almost 800 women die every day due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth. The lifetime risk of a woman dying during pregnancy and childbirth is 1 to 3,300 in Europe, compared to 1 to 40 in Africa. WHO further states that the most dangerous place to give birth is Sub-Saharan Africa. Quality care before and after childbirth is identified as one of the five essential things needed to save women‘s lives (WHO, 2013).

In December 2010, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon established the UN Commission on Information and Accountability for Women‘s and Children‘s Health which developed 11 indicators for women‘s and children‘s health. These are; maternal mortality ratio, under-five child mortality (with the proportion of new born deaths), stunting prevalence, demand for family planning satisfied (met need for contraception), Antenatal care (four or more visits) Antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive pregnant women, skilled attendant at birth, postnatal care for mothers and babies within two days of birth, exclusive breastfeeding (0–5 months of age), Three doses of combined diphtheria, tetanus pertussis vaccine (DTP3) immunisation coverage and antibiotic treatment for childhood pneumonia.

A woman living in sub-Saharan Africa has a 1 in 16 chance of dying during pregnancy or childbirth as compared to 1 in 3,700 in North America (United Nations Millennium Project).Close to 60% of global maternal deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa and at 500 maternal deaths per 1,000 live deaths, the region has the highest maternalmortality rate ratio(MMR) in the world (Trends in maternal motality: 1990 to 2010 by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and the World Bank estimates). This paints a very dire picture.There areseveral factors that cause maternal mortality which according to United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) include negligence to family planning, HIV and AIDS, unwanted pregnancy, finance, lack of education and ignorance. There needs to be renewed push to educate all those involved especially the women in these areas on maternal health and this can be done through television.

Omoloso, (2009) notes that; “television, radio and print advertising can entice… Television entertainment programmes and movies exert enormous influence over our ideas, values and behavior”. Recognizing the powerful tool of the media as having influence on their audience, television as a medium of entertainment and information seeks to keep the woman educated and informed. Flores, Weber, Kilker, Dang and Lindsey (2013) assert that pregnant women in particular are in need of specific information related to their condition. Citing Omoloso, (2009) equally describes the mass media as key components of the global strategy for sustainable health development through adequate information and education on various health issues. The role played by the mass media is also a vital one such that without the media, it would be absolutely impossible for health promoters and stakeholders to disseminate information as well as monitor and coordinate the activities of the various countries on health issues. Television can also be effective to reach people with limited literacy skills as relying on written materials on health information can be overwhelming (Flore et al 2013). Therefore, health messages delivered through television outlets might be an effective option because of their visual appeal. It also cut across literacy barrier which affords those in the rural region, especially for those with limited literacy skills to view health programmes directed at them.

Kabir (2013) defines Maternal Mortality according to WHO as: The death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy irrespective of the duration and site of pregnancy from any case related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management. Causes of maternal mortality have been linked with obstructed labor and ruptured uterus, Hemorrhage, Hypertensive disease of pregnancy, Infection and Abortion.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 addressed maternal and child health. It is clear that these were not be achieved despite various robust campaigns on maternal and child healthcare. In Nigeria, maternal mortality, neonatal deaths, infant mortality and child mortality rates are still high. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs has the third UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), as launched at the UN Post-2015 Summit, has its first two targets focused on maternal and child health, namely; by 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births and end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births (Kabir, 2013).

Health communication as defined by Parvantaet al (2011) is the use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health, and it plays an integral part in maternal and child health practice and promotion (Parvanta et al 2011). According Haider (2015) effective communication is essential for every health promotion and disease prevention project. The promotion of good health often requires changes in perceptions, attitudes, behaviours and practices among target population (Haider 2015). Choice of health communication tools is key in effective message delivery. As discussed by Parker (2009) there is an ecological model of social determinants of health, and hence the various factors under each level determine the different choices of health communication tools. Such tools include websites and music videos at the social (macro) level, billboards at the community (meso) level, text messaging, brochures and pamphlets at interpersonal (micro) level, lastly medical records at an individual and population levels. The different levels interact with each other and the net result is a health outcome, whether desired or not (Parker, 2009).

Schiavo (2013) states that health communication is the main currency of healthcare in the 21st century‖. Ready access to relevant, reliable, and culturally appropriate information enables the general public, patients, health care providers, public health professionals, and others to address personal and public health concerns far more effectively than in the past (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define health communication as ―the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health (2011; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015).

Yudell (2012) argues that public health communicators often attempt to persuade their audience to adopt a particular belief or pursue a particular course of action. To a large extent, the ethical defensibility of persuasion appears to be assumed by public health practitioners; however, a handful of academic treatments have called into question the ethical defensibility of persuasive risk and health communication (Yudell, 2012).

Health communication interventions have been successfully used for many years by non-profit organizations, the commercial sector, and others to advance public, corporate, or product-related goals in relation to health. As many authors have noted, health communication draws from numerous disciplines, including health education, mass and speech communication, marketing, social marketing, psychology, anthropology, and sociology (World Health Organization, 2013). It relies on different communication activities or action areas, including interpersonal communications, public relations, public advocacy, community mobilization, and professional communications.

A number of issues need to be recognized, based on how the media is contributing in the right against it by informing the public about risk involved in other to reduce the rate of maternal mortality rate and helping to actualize specific part of the goal of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which is to improve maternal health. The world maternal mortality rate (the number of death per 100,000 birth) is decline too slowly to meet Millennium Development Goal (MDG) five target, which aim to reduce the number of women who died during pregnancy and child birth by the end of 2015, which is one of the greatest challenges facing the international public health community in creating sustainable intervention in countries where need are greatest. This especially proves difficult in the area of maternal health as there are so many levels at which initiatives can be taken crucially to the success of the programs, one of which is the involvement of the broadcasting house among other measures to fight against this menace (Bass, 2016).

Mass media influence health related behaviour and understanding through advertising of commercial products, coverage of news topic, portrayal of role model and social marketing activities and strongly linked which is powerful companion in health promotion action beside explicit health communication. There is also plenty of information in media message which unintentionally and unconsciously related to health according to Agnes, (2016).

However, communication provides a long-term solution through creating understanding between players in the health sector and the public. Communication therefore is integrated into maternal and child health to provide a multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach to reach different audience and share maternal and child health related information, with the goal of influencing community health professionals and policy makers to achieve the desired child health care outcome, through encouraging behavior modification and social change (Schiavo, 2007; Parker 2009).

This chapter presents an overview about child’s birth health program in promoting the maternal health of women Bida Local Government of Niger State as post-dated by World Health Organisation (WHO) in many countries.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

Any health communicator has a variety of media from which to choose when attempting to influence health beliefs, behaviours, and policies. Many people use the media because they believe the content carried in the channels of communication (Parker, 2009). Women of reproductive age will actively or passively seek information from various channels whether at the community (local) or interpersonal level using the various tools of communication in each different level. The choice of the source of information depends on the basic education levels, inherent knowledge on maternal and child healthcare and their ability to comprehend their desired health outcome, whether positive or negative (Parker 2009).

Government and health sector players focus more on policies and do not really know why the policies fail during implementation, because they are top down thereby citizen participation is limited. In health program, as discussed by Schiavo (2013), the audience is not merely a target but an active participant in the process of analyzing the health issue and finding culturally appropriate and cost-effective solutions. Parker (2009) outlines the various health program tools at each level of society that can be used to deliver messages targeted at changing perception, attitudes, behaviour and practices of the target population (Parker, 2009).

Some people still hold into the notion that maternal death is caused by spiritual powers while some think complication such as abortion, poverty, poorly skilled health professional and sub-standard care could have led to maternal mortality death, hence most of the case of maternal mortality are avoidable and preventable. Journalists have a social responsibility of educating the people on appropriate manner of fighting maternal health.

It is in view of the above facts that the researcher carryout this study to examine the effect of NTA on child’s health programme in promoting the maternal health of women in Bida Local Government of Niger State and recommend possible solution to maternal health of women.

1.3     Aim and Objectives of the Study

The broad objective of this study is to determine the effect of NTA in child’s health program in promoting the maternal health of women in Bida.

Specific objectives of this study are:

1. To find out the degree of exposure of women in Bida local government areas to ‘Child Health’programme on NTA.
2. To determine whether ‘Child Health programmes on NTA have any effect on the maternal health of women in Bida local government.
3. To examine the knowledge levels on maternal and child health care among women of reproductive age in Bida local government.
4. To identify the factors affecting the effectiveness of NTA’s ‘Child Health’ programme in Bida local government.

1.4     Research Questions

1. What is the degree of exposure of women in Bida local government areas to ‘Child Health’programmes on NTA?
2. To what extent do health programmes on NTA address the maternal health needs of women in the study area?
3. What are the knowledge levels on maternal and child healthcare among women of reproductive age in the study area?
4. What modes of communication are there between maternal health care providers and women of reproductive age in the study area?

1.5     Significance of the Study

The finding of this study would help in enumerating the use of the media on the propagation of child health program in promoting the maternal health of women include the ability to reach a large proportion of the population. Although, it is important to bear in mind that health promotion will probably only draw in the people who are interested and the people who are not aware of any health promotion.

The mass media can make use of usually potent images to invent a hard hitting and powerful massage which is more often than not, available to other awareness.

However, the role of the media in initiating wide spread and long lasting behavioural change maybe over rated. Some communications experts have concluded that although mass media may increase knowledge, they are in some cases ineffective in changing attitudes and behaviour (Mac Donald, 2009). It will also provide possible solutions to the identified problems of maternal health of women through the use of television and radio programmes. The findings would also be valuable to journalists, communities and researchers as well. Furthermore, the information contained in this research will provide handy reference materials for all students and researcher who intend studying or researching related topic.

1.6     Scope of the Study 

The study covered pregnant and postpartum women specifically from Bida Local Government Areas of Niger State. The television stations that was also considered for this study Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).

However, the time allocated for the study would only be wisely effective and efficiently utilized within the time framework similarly the resource at hand financial constraint are likely to affect the study.

1.7     Definition of Terms

Women of Reproductive Age: According to Parker (2009) the average woman’s reproductive years are between ages 12 and 51. Your fertility naturally declines as you get older, which could make it harder for you to conceive

Health communication: Is the study and practice of communicating promotional health information, such as in public health campaigns, health education and between doctor and patient. The purpose of disseminating health information is to influence personal health choices by improving health literacy (Schiavo, 2013).

Maternal health: Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. While motherhood is often a positive and fulfilling experience, for too many women it is associated with suffering, ill-health and even death (Omoloso, 2009).

Health promotion: Flores,Weber, Kilker, Dang & Lindsey (2013)assert that health promotion refer to the process of enabling people, including healthcare providers and consumers, to increase control over, and to improve, their health beyond a focus on individual behaviour and towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions.

Mortality rate: Is a measure of the number of deaths (in general, or due to a specific cause) in a particular population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit of time (Porta, 2014).

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