A leading maternal healthtech company, Birthsafe, has raised concern about the weak emergency response system for pregnant women at delivery points in Nigeria. The organisation says there is a dangerous gap between the antenatal care women receive and the emergency help available when they face complications during childbirth.
Dr. Idara Umoette, the founder of Birthsafe Nigeria, spoke to journalists about this issue and announced a new training programme aimed at closing this gap. The training, set for July 2 and 3, 2025, at NECA Hall in Ikeja, Lagos, will focus on emergency obstetric skills for nurses and midwives, who are often the first responders when women arrive at hospitals in crisis.
Dr. Umoette explained, “The most pressing gaps in emergency obstetrics care that this training hopes to address would be the efficiency of the first response. In many instances, first responders whom women run to first are nurses and midwives. So it makes perfect sense that as first responders, they should be equipped, empowered and have their skills further sharpened to ensure that they can deliver efficient interventions to keep women and babies alive.”
The Need for Stronger Emergency Response
Birthsafe’s concern is based on the fact that while many women attend antenatal clinics during pregnancy, the care they receive in emergencies is often not strong enough. Many women and their babies die or suffer harm because nurses and midwives are not always trained to handle urgent situations.
Dr. Umoette said the TORM initiative (Training for Obstetric Response and Management) was created to bridge this dangerous gap. She explained that being proactive is important, but it is equally necessary to strengthen the reactive care that pregnant women receive when emergencies happen.
“Women and their babies are dying and we have had conversations on a way forward—on how we can beat this. Birthsafe, as a foremost digital antenatal service provider, has directly rendered services to pregnant women. And we sat and thought, in addition to being proactive, is there something that can be done to strengthen the reactive care that pregnant women receive. It is one thing to receive antenatal care, but what happens when they come to the facilities in the event of an emergency? That’s what formed the idea behind TORM,” Dr. Umoette explained.
Lagos as a Starting Point
The training will begin in Lagos, a state known for embracing innovation in healthcare. Dr. Umoette said Lagos was chosen because of its openness to new ideas and its large population of women who can benefit from better emergency care.
The facilitators for the training were carefully selected based on their years of experience and their ability to provide practical, hands-on lessons. The goal is to ensure that nurses and midwives can apply what they learn in any setting, whether in a busy city hospital or a small rural clinic.
Empowering Healthcare Workers and Women
Dr. Umoette stressed that the training is not just about skills, but also about empowering nurses, midwives, and even women themselves. By knowing what to do in emergencies, healthcare workers can save more lives, and women can feel more confident about their safety during childbirth.
Dr. Ifeoma Orifa, Executive Director of Accentcare Home Health Services, also spoke about the importance of the training. She said, “The need for this cannot be overemphasised. This is the right time—so, getting people to know what to do, empowering women to understand what they can do for themselves is very key.”
The Broader Picture
Nigeria has one of the highest rates of maternal and newborn deaths in the world. Many of these deaths can be prevented if the right help is available quickly when women face complications during delivery. Birthsafe’s initiative is part of a wider effort to improve maternal health by making sure that emergency care is just as strong as antenatal care.
The company believes that with better training, nurses and midwives can act faster and more confidently. This will help reduce the number of women and babies who die or suffer harm during childbirth.
Community and Policy Support Needed
Dr. Umoette and her team are calling on the government, hospitals, and the community to support this initiative. They believe that by working together, it is possible to make childbirth safer for every woman in Nigeria.
The training is open to nurses and midwives from all over Lagos and is expected to attract participants from other states in the future. Birthsafe hopes that the success of the programme in Lagos will encourage other regions to adopt similar training.
Conclusion
Birthsafe’s alarm over weak emergency response for pregnant women highlights a major problem in Nigeria’s healthcare system. By focusing on training for nurses and midwives, the organisation hopes to save more lives and make childbirth safer for mothers and babies. The upcoming training in Lagos is a step in the right direction, and with support from all stakeholders, it could lead to lasting improvements in maternal health across the country.
