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.
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.
Sub-Saharan Africa leads this death toll, accounting for 50
percent of all maternal deaths worldwide, and South Asia
accounts for another 35 percent (United Nations. 2000. United Nations
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, defines
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 and perinatal death and disability are known. 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 shah Africa. This background have 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 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
1.
To examine the role of
mass media in bringing maternal mortality to a barest minimum if not totally
bring to zero point.
2.
To study how mass
media can improve on their health programmes.
3.
To know the rate at
which mass media dedicate to women education especially on issue relating to
maternal health and family planning.
4.
To know the challenges
facing mass media in health education in Nigeria.
5.
To know if women
especially those in the rural areas listen or watching health programme
6.
To study what channel
do women get health education?
7.
To know if the rural
women ever have access to mass media .
1.4 Research Questions
1.
To what extent has
mass media being able to reduce maternal mortality in Boripe Local Government?
2.
Does mass media see
educating women as their responsibility?
3.
What are the challenges
facing mass media in reducing maternal mortality?
4.
To what extent do mass
media reach the rural dwellers in terms of educating them on maternal health?
5.
what is the future holds for women in Nigeria
?
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 health. The study will assist the media practitioners to know its role
in keeping women informed concerning maternal related issues..
1.6 Scope of the Study
Although, the primary aim and
objective of the project is to examine the role of mass media in reducing
maternal mortality and childbirth. This topic itself has limited the scope of
this study through the use of Boripe Local Government as a case study. However, this can not be effectively talked
without considering the demographic factor of the people in Boripe 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.
Ø
Duration
for the research work is relatively short.
Ø
Stress
emanated from other academic activities is also another constrain.
Ø
Little
materials are also available because the work is relatively new.
Ø
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 of women during birth or pregnancy.
