The Rivers State government says it is intensifying efforts to implement the World Health Organisation (WHO)-recommended E-MOTIVE Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) bundle as part of renewed strategies to reduce maternal deaths in the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Adaeze Oreh, said this in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Friday, while responding to questions on the state’s preparedness, financing, and equity plans for the rollout of the E-MOTIVE intervention.

Ms Oreh explained that the state was at the initial phase of conceptualising full implementation of the E-MOTIVE PPH bundle when recent disruptions, including the declaration of a state of emergency, slowed progress on innovative maternal health programmes.

She, however, assured that the state government remained committed to ensuring that residents did not lose the benefits of globally proven maternal health interventions.

“Rivers State is in the initial phase of conceptualisation of the full implementation of the E-MOTIVE PPH bundle.

“We had commenced discussions with potential partners when the state of emergency was suddenly declared.

“This set the state back tremendously in innovative programmes such as E-MOTIVE, the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), and the Joint Annual Review,” she said.

According to her, the governor is intent on sustaining health sector reforms and has directed that work on those programmes should continue with renewed vigour.

Speaking about funding, Ms Oreh said that most of the commodities required for PPH management, such as tranexamic acid (TXA), oxytocin, intravenous fluids and other essential maternal health supplies, had already been captured in previous budgetary allocations.

She added that the state planned to broaden its maternal health budget in 2026 as it moved from planning to scaling up the E-MOTIVE intervention.

“Much of the commodities and medicines in the PPH kits were already captured in prior budgetary allocations for maternal health.

“These allocations will, however, be expanded in the 2026 budget as the state solidifies and scales up the implementation of E-MOTIVE,” the commissioner said.

Addressing concerns about equity, she emphasised that rural primary healthcare centres, where maternal deaths were most prevalent, would receive equal priority in training, supply distribution, and supportive supervision.

She said the approach was anchored on the state’s ‘Health4AllRivers’ quality healthcare delivery strategy, which prioritises equitable access to healthcare services across all communities.

“No community facility will be left behind, as equity is a foremost principle of Gov. Siminalayi Fubara’s mandate for health.

“Distribution of commodities will be data-driven to ensure availability in every community where safe maternal delivery services are needed,” she said.

Ms Oreh added that the strategy covered last-mile delivery of commodities, training of skilled birth attendants, and regular supportive supervision to ensure quality implementation.

Postpartum haemorrhage remains one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in Nigeria, and the E-MOTIVE bundle is a WHO-recommended, evidence-based approach designed to improve early detection and timely management of excessive bleeding after childbirth. 

(NAN)