PROPOSAL / CHAPTER ONE
1.0 BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
1.1
INTRODUCTION
Of
all the Millennium Development Goals, the least progress has been made on goal
Number Five (MDG 5): Reducing maternal mortality by three-quarters by the
year 2015. (UNICEF 2009).
Every
day, about 1,500 women across the globe die because of complications during
pregnancy or childbirth, and 98 percent of these deaths, half a million annually,
occur in developing countries. Another 10 to 20 million women develop physical
or mental disabilities every year as a result of complicated pregnancies and deliveries.
(WHO Report: 2008).
Sub-Saharan
Africa leads this death toll, accounting for 50 percent of all maternal deaths
worldwide, and South Asia accounts for another 35 percent (UN Millennium
Declaration). In addition to the tragedy of these preventable deaths, high
maternal mortality comes with a high cost to the rest of society. Costs are
both direct, including the cost of health care (either to families or to the
health system), and indirect, in the form of income and productivity lost for
both the mother and the family (child health, growth, and education all suffer
when mothers die) (Gill et al. 2007).
The
recent progress report on the subject, Countdown to 2015: Tracking
Progress in Maternal, Newborn & Child Survival, define as “high” any
Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 300 or more maternal deaths per 100,000 live
births. Currently, 60 countries have MMR levels this high (UNICEF 2008).
The
regions (excluding high-income countries) that had the highest aggregate MMR
in 2005 are Sub-Saharan Africa (900 deaths per 100,000 live births) and South
Asia (500). These stand in extreme contrast to the average rate among
high-income countries, which was just 9 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births
in that same year. Worldwide, the average maternal mortality ratio has
declined at a rate of less than one percent per year between 1990 and 2005,
according to the 2007 WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA/World Bank report on maternal mortality
(WHO 2007).
Of
all health indicators, maternal mortality reveals the greatest gap between
rich and poor women, both between and within countries. Health experts agree
that the interventions needed to avert much of the burden of maternal death.
However, it has become increasingly clear that the success of these
interventions depends on the capacity of the health system and the role play by
mass media in each country to deliver quality care as well as creating
awareness and especially in girls’ education, family planning, good roads, and
available transport for emergencies.
There
is no gain saying in the fact that mass media especially radio and television
have a lot of responsibilities in the effort to reduce maternal mortality in
our society. Apart from the responsibility of the mass media to entertain, it
is also the priority of the mass media to educate, enlighten, sensitizing of
varieties of issues which health is not an exceptional.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
High
level of illiteracy, poverty and cultural background have been attributed to
increase in the number of maternal mortality in the world especially in
Sub-sahara Africa. This background has made many of them remain ignorant of
what maternal mortality is all about including family planning concept.
Apart
from that many are residing in remote part of the society especially in the
village where there is poor infrastructural facilities like access to good
health care, good road electricity, good water and access to radio and
television.
However,
what mass media have been able to do and what they can do to reduce this
curable risk of life in our society will be addressed in this research work.
1.3 OBJECTIVES
OF THE STUDY
To
examine whether mass media see women education as its responsibility.
i.
To know how often mass media reach
women in Ilesha West local government on maternal health Programme.
ii.
To study if mass media serve as
platform for women to discuss health matters.
iii.
To know some of the challenges facing
mass media in reducing maternal mortality?
iv.
To know the extent of which mass media
is able to reduce maternal mortality in Ilesha West Local Government?
1.4 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
i.
To what extent do the mass media
educate women on child birth?
ii.
What are the constraints facing mass
media in disseminating health education to the rural dwellers?
iii.
Has mass media being able to reduce
maternal mortality in Ilesha West Local Government?
iv.
To what extent have mass media been
able to educate women in Ilesha West local government on the usefulness on
contraceptives?
v.
Have mass media enlightenment
programme reduce unwanted pregnancy among women in Ilesha West local
government?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The
significant of this study aims at revealing to the media practitioners and
broadcast students, the role of mass media in reducing maternal death.
Media
Practitioners: The study will assist the media practitioners to know its
role in keeping women informed concerning maternal related issues.
Government
and Health Agencies: Must partner with media in order to success in their
various campaign activities to take their message to the target women.
Future
Researcher: Researchers who will be writing on this aspect or related one
will fine this word very interesting and serve as a reference materials.
1.6 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
Although,
the primary aim and objective of the project is to examine the role of mass
media in eradicating maternal death. The topic itself has limited the scope of
this study through the use of Ilesha West Local Government as a case study.
However,
this can not be effectively talked without considering the demographic factor
of the people in Ilesha West Local Government that respond to the
questionnaires of this study.
Experience,
education background, age, sex e. t. c must be considered before the
distribution of research instruments.
1.7 LIMITATION
TO THE STUDY
Wide
research of this nature cannot be carried out without some constrains, this
constrains pose a lot of limitations to this work.
i.
Duration for the research work is
relatively short.
ii.
Stress emanated from other academic
activities is also another constrain.
iii.
Little materials are also available because
the work is relatively new.
iv.
Financial constrain poses another
challenges.
However,
because of the aforementioned constrains, the scope of this research shall be
narrowed down to Nigeria, in which discussion and analyses will revolves.
1.8 DEFINITION
OF THE TERMS
Mass
Media: These are device of mass dissemination of information to a wider
audience such as: radio, television and newspapers.
Role: This
simply means the functions or the impact.
Eradicating
: It means solving, cubing, reduce or minimizing.
Maternal
Mortality/Death: Death of women during birth or pregnancy.
