Synergies in video edutainment: Child spacing and regional training for rollout in Bauchi, Nigeria (IMCHA)

Nigeria has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world. Maternal mortality is especially high in Bauchi State, where, according to a recent survey, only 16% of women had a qualified attendant for their last delivery, and only 40% had four or more visits to a government facility before delivery (four visits is the minimum standard set by UNICEF and the World Health Organization). Both national and state governments have identified maternal mortality as a priority issue, with a particular focus on strengthening primary healthcare services to improve maternal and child health.

One of the key strategies for reducing maternal and child mortality is child spacing. This project, a partnership between the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning/McGill University and the Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria, will develop and test a culturally appropriate home-visit intervention focusing on child spacing and the use of contraception. This home-visit approach, using portable video-education technologies, is now in use to reach the most vulnerable population. It will be expanded to all pregnant women and their spouses. Visits will cover information on safer pregnancy and delivery and will support couples to adopt safer behaviours in child spacing using culturally relevant practices. The project will further work with state governments, in particular the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, to equip a critical mass of government officers with the necessary skills and tools for effective management, supervision, and monitoring of such a program.


This project is funded by the Innovating for Maternal and Child Health in Africa program. It is a seven-year $36 million initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada, IDRC, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.