By Ogu, Jimoh Bala
The purpose of the study was to appraise the level of attainment of MDG-5 (maternal health) in North Central Nigeria. The study is carried in this area as a result of the endemic nature of the region on the issues of maternal mortality rate with an estimated ratio of 1549 per 100000 live births. To investigate this problem, six research questions were formulated to determine the extent to which family planning, antenatal and postnatal services were delivered in NCN. The study also determine the strategies put in place to reduction childbearing adolescent birth rate, adequacy of skilled health personnel and extent of maternal mortality rate reduction in NCN. Three null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and tested at an alpha level 0.05. Evaluative design was adopted for the study with a population of 10,610 consisting of 1,315 Doctors, 6,039 Nurses, 1,739 Midwives and 1,517 expectant/nursing mothers. A sample of 1070 respondents was drawn from the population using multi stage sampling procedure, purposive, proportionate and simple random sampling techniques. Structured questionnaire instrument was used for data collection titled maternal health questionnaire (MAHEQ). It was face validated by three experts and trial tested with an overall reliability index of 0.83 using cronbach alpha. Mean, standard deviation and percentages were used in the analysis of the data collected. The real limit of numbers at which the responses were accepted was at 2.50-3.49 and above. The three null hypotheses were analysed using ANOVA and tested at an alpha level of 0.05. The findings of the study show that the need for family planning services, antenatal care services, and post natal care services were delivered to a high extent in North Central Nigeria. The findings of the study also show that strategies were adopted to reduce adolescent birth rate and rated to a high extent in North Central Nigeria. This result shows that high effort was made in reducing the high maternal mortality ratio. The adequacy of skilled health personnel was to low extent. This result shows some degree of hindrance in the effort to achieve the desired result of 75% reduction by 2015. However the rate at which maternal mortality rate reduced from 2005 to 2013 was to a high extent. It is based on the above result that the following recommendation were made: that more medical personnel should be recruited, enlightenment campaigns should be intensified to show the advantages of MH services, continuous training of medical personnel on various methods of contraceptives use and administration for optimum service delivery should be intensified, introduction of sex education through outreach programmes to help the adolescents and improving laboratory facilities to reduce the burden of cost on the poor pregnant mothers.