C’River: PRISMA Hits Registration Target in Weeks
By Ekanem Asuquo
The Pregnancy Risks, Infant Surveillance and Measurement Alliance, PRISMA, has recorded a major milestone in Cross River, enrolling 200 participants within weeks of commencing registration for its maternal and newborn health study.
The achievement marks significant progress for the international research initiative, which recently moved from months of community sensitisation and stakeholder consultations to active participant enrolment across selected communities in the state.
In a commendation letter, the Centre for Clinical Trials, Research and Implementation Science, CCTRIS, University of Lagos, applauded the Cross River PRISMA team for its dedication, teamwork and commitment to the successful implementation of the study.
CCTRIS described the achievement as a product of “hard work, dedication and sustained commitment” to the PRISMA Study.
PRISMA commenced the enrolment of eligible pregnant women in Calabar Municipality, Calabar South and Biase Local Government Areas in late June, following consultations with government officials, traditional rulers, religious leaders, healthcare providers, traditional birth attendants and other community stakeholders.
Under the programme, eligible pregnant women are provided with access to comprehensive maternal healthcare services, including antenatal and postnatal care, supervised delivery and caesarean section where medically required.
The intervention also covers hospital bills and medical care for both mother and child for one year after delivery at designated public and private health facilities.
The Community Engagement Lead for PRISMA, Professor Anne Meremikwu, had described the commencement of enrolment as “a significant milestone,” explaining that the study was designed to identify factors responsible for poor pregnancy outcomes and generate scientific evidence to strengthen maternal and newborn health policies and interventions.
She commended the support received from government officials, traditional institutions, religious leaders, traditional birth attendants and community members during the sensitisation phase.
The Project Manager, Mrs. Chisom Aquaisua, had also said the project team was committed to identifying and following eligible participants through pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.
“We are committed to identifying and following eligible participants through pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period,” Aquaisua said.
She urged eligible expectant mothers in participating communities to take advantage of the programme, noting that the initiative would not only improve access to quality maternal healthcare but also generate reliable data to support efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
The rapid attainment of 200 enrolments is an indication of the strong community acceptance of the programme and growing participation in the Cross River component of the study.
Traditional and community leaders in participating areas had earlier pledged their support for the initiative and promised to mobilise eligible women to participate.
In Biase, the President of the Adim Women Biase Association, Mrs. Mary Patrick, said the association, which has more than 1,000 members across the local government area, had intensified awareness campaigns to encourage eligible pregnant women to enrol.
According to Patrick, the association was “intensifying awareness campaigns” to ensure that eligible women were adequately informed about the opportunities provided by the programme.
PRISMA is a multicountry maternal and child health research programme focused on monitoring pregnancy outcomes and identifying factors associated with maternal and infant mortality.
In Nigeria, the project is led by Professor Martin Meremikwu, a renowned Professor of Paediatrics and Consultant Paediatrician at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, and Professor Saturday Etuk, a seasoned Gynaecologist and Consultant at the University of Calabar and UCTH.
The initiative seeks to enrol and monitor pregnant women from pregnancy through childbirth and the first year of their children’s lives, generating evidence to guide policies and interventions aimed at improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.
The Cross River team’s achievement of 200 participant enrolments within weeks of registration is expected to provide further momentum for the study as enrolment and follow up activities continue in participating communities.
