With an annual estimated 276,000 neonatal deaths, Nigeria has the second highest of any country in the world. Global progress in accelerating neonatal deaths is hinged to scaled-up interventions in Nigeria. Routine data of chlorhexidine digluconate 7.1% gel utilized by 36,404 newborns delivered by 36,370 mothers, was use to study lessons associated with at-scale distribution in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria.
Enhancements in the predictable availability and supply of chlorhexidine digluconate 7.1% gel to communities through better, evidence-based logistics management by the state public sector will most likely dramatically increase program scalability. Infections as a cause of mortality in babies delivered in home settings may be much higher than previously conceived. In tandem with high prevalence of stillborn deaths, delivery, interventions designed to increase mothers’ timely and regular use of quality antenatal care, and increased facility-based based delivery, need urgent attention. We call for accelerated investments in community health volunteer programs and the requisite community measurement systems to better track coverage. We also advocate for the development, refinement and use of routine community-based verbal autopsies to track newborn and maternal survival.
Authors: Nosakhare Orobaton , Dele Abegunde, Kamil Shoretire, Jumare Abdulazeez, Bolaji Fapohunda, Goli Lamiri, Abubakar Maishanu, Akeem Ganiyu, Eric Ndifon, Ringpon Gwamzhi, Matthew Osborne-Smith (2015)
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