In December 2016, Brown Button Foundation in conjunction with AXA Mansard held a training program for Traditional Birth Attendants in Epe Local Government. This is as a result of the lack of sufficient skilled health workers and health centers in the area as well as a high patronage of local birth attendants by the women in the community
While trying to find out the reason for the high patronage of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) in the community by pregnant women, the BBF team visited some of the health centres and discovered that many were left abandoned, surrounded by overgrown bushes where the health workers were constantly attacked by snakes, a lack of or very poor electricity supply and inaccessible health centres (where most were sited several kilometres away from the resident communities), these and more were the established justification for the high patronage of TBAs by the pregnant women
The training was conducted for the TBAs to ensure that their activities are carried out under hygienic conditions and with the right tools to ensure safe deliveries. Asides from the training, the TBA homes were supplied with delivery kits, and equipment including, Blood Pressure Machines, Wheel Chairs amongst other beneficial supplies to improve the quality of the services provided to pregnant women in the communities. The TBAs were trained on how to recognize signs of complications during pregnancy and delivery and to encouraged to carry out prompt referrals to health centres.