Other Articles in this Volume:ixx No 2

OMOREDE, CHRISTIANA KAYINWAYE (Ph. D)

Published in 2018; Volume:ixx No: 2 Article Number: 6

This paper assesses the impact of Health policy on Maternal and Child mortality rate in some rural communities in Rivers State of Nigeria. Its main aim is to establish how the implementation of the health policies has achieved its set goals. Primary and Secondary sources of data collection were utilised. Some members of the selected Communities were interviewed and relevant documents reviewed. Findings revealed that despite the availability of international and national intervention/ policies for delivering quality Maternal and Child Health Services, significant cause of failure in the policy remained the yawning gap between plan and realisation. Well intended policy programmes remain unimplemented. Corruption, Loose budgetary arrangements, poor coordination between the three tiers of government, inadequate monitoring of programmes and incompetence on the part of health givers are some other challenges. Also revealed is that many people are not making use of available health services due to high cost in assessing medical facilities; the bulk of health funding is borne by households, who made out-of-pocket payments for health care services. This meant that whether one is rich or poor, the amount one pays for health care is the same, which makes health care in Nigeria highly inequitable. These have serious implications for maternal and infant/ child health. The paper concludes that Nigeria’s maternal and Child Health system remains weak and the policy has not been successfully implemented and monitored. It was recommended that enhanced funding, proper monitoring and periodic evaluation of programmes should be emphasised. Also, a vigorous policy of educating expectant mothers, adolescent girls and other women of child bearing age on basic hygiene and proper nutrition is recommended.

Government, Public Policy, Maternal/Child Health Care, Mortality and Morbidity