Brief Report of the
Final Evidence 4 OnTIME Implementation Management Team Meeting in Benin City
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The data gathered, highlighted that about 38% of the women in the study journeyed for more than 30 minutes to definitive care, 31% of the women sought care during the weekend, indicating potential barriers to timely access to emergency services, only 5% of those referred from one health facility to another were transported using an ambulance, while stillbirth and maternal death was also more prevalent amongst women who had multiple referrals and longer travel time. In-depth interviews with the women also reflected their expressions of the difficulties faced in accessing emergency obstetric care services such as long travel hours or absence of facilities and their resorting to unskilled birth attendants for timely intervention.
Following the result findings, the Implementation Management Team
systematically co-developed actionable strategies directed at emerging themes. These included advocacy for behaviour change, strengthening referral processes and practices, training of health care workers, infrastructure upgrade in health facilities, communication within hospitals and the newly established emergency medical services. These strategies provide direct focus and goals which are to serve as a foundation for the sustainable provision of timely and equitable geographical access to emergency obstetric care in Benin City.
It is expected that the successful implementation of these strategies will improve maternal and perinatal health outcomes in Benin City
The Evidence for On Tackling In-Transit Delays for Mothers in Emergency (Evidence 4 OnTIME) Benin City project held its final Implementation Management Team meeting with key stakeholders from the Edo State Ministry of Health on the 3rd of October 2024, to wrap up the evidence translation and implementation project conducted in the city. The meeting, which was jointly attended by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, The Director of Regulation & Monitoring, Director of Medical Services, Director of Community and Family Health services, Director of Planning Research & Statistics, Heads of Referral facilities, the Chief Executive Officer of Emergency Response Africa and Dr Charlotte Stanton of Google, witnessed the presentation of evidence gathered from the project.
