Published Article

ABSTRACT

Maternal health information is the bedrock of women’s health during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Despite numerous global, national concerns and interest in maternal and child health care, the rate of maternal mortality and morbidity in Nigeria has continued to be alarming due to some unmet maternal information needs of women. Women tend to be given inadequate information, education and communication and as a result, the number of women dying during childbirth is still unacceptable. This paper was aimed to explore the strategies the librarian will applied to connect women with health information needed for improved maternal health care. The paper identified the information needed during the three stages of maternal health namely, pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum, these information includes; information on regular checkups, antenatal, place of delivery, miscarriage, nutrition, malaria in pregnancy, medicines in pregnancy, complications or danger signs, infant care, child immunization, infant feeding, low birth weight, infections, umbilical cord care, diarrhea and others. The paper looked at some challenges that prevent accessibility of health information which includes; illiteracy, poverty, distance, language barriers, inadequate services, lack of information, inadequate human resources, poor attitudes of health workers toward women and cultural practices. The paper concludes and recommends that despite the challenges of connecting women with maternal health information, the librarian can explode the following strategies to ensure women access information lecturers, worships and seminars, partnership with women groups and CBOs, displays and exhibitions, repacking of maternal health information and enlightenment campaign among others.

KEYWORDS:          Preventive care, maternal health, maternal. Mortality, child mortality, women’s health, information needs and library