title: Outcome of an intervention to improve the quality of private sector provision of postabortion care in northern Nigeria.
abstract: The outcomes of an intervention aimed at improving the quality of postabortion care provided by private medical practitioners in 8 states in northern Nigeria are reported. A total of 458 private medical doctors and 839 nurses and midwives were trained to offer high-quality postabortion care, postabortion family planning, and integrated sexually transmitted infection/HIV care. Results showed that among the 17009 women treated over 10 years, there was not a single case of maternal death. In a detailed analysis of 2559 women treated during a 15-month period after the intervention was established, only 33 women experienced mild complications, while none suffered major complications of abortion care. At the same time, there was a reduction in treatment cost and a doubling of the contraceptive uptake by the women. Building the capacity of private medical providers can reduce maternal morbidity and mortality associated with induced abortion in northern Nigeria.
authors.affiliation: The Women's Health and Action Research Centre, Benin City, Nigeria. dr.ogurosemary@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ogu
authors.forename: Friday
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Okonofua
authors.forename: Afolabi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hammed
authors.forename: Edoja
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Okpokunu
authors.forename: Abdulkarim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mairiga
authors.forename: Abubakar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bako
authors.forename: Tajudeen
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abass
authors.forename: Danjuma
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garba
authors.forename: Akinyade
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alani
authors.forename: Kingsley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Agholor
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D011247:Pregnancy; D017584:Reproductive History; D055815:Young Adult