A 4-day capacity building workshop on Obstetric Point-of-Care ultrasound scan for nurses/midwives was conducted from the 25th - 28th of August, 2025. It was organized by the Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) project in collaboration with Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board and Radiologists and Obstetricians from tertiary hospitals in the State.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Executive Secretary, Dr Chituru Adele, the Program Manager, IMPACT, Directors, IMPACT PIU, Facilitators, Participants, Partners, and Volunteer pregnant women.
The main objective of the training was to develop the capacity of Primary Health Workers to commence Point-of-Care Obstetric imaging in Primary Health Centres in rural and hard-to-reach communities. This will enhance access to obstetric imaging and promote early detection of high-risk pregnancies, feto-maternal complications and prompt referrals where necessary. Forty-Six (46) participants (23 Deputy Primary Health Care Coordinators and 23 Facility Nurses) participated in this training.
The training was comprehensive and well-structured with theoretical and hands-on practical sessions. Components of the training were, pre-training evaluation of participants, overview of high-risk clinical conditions and their obstetric images, knobology, extensive hands-on practical sessions on volunteer pregnant women and post-training evaluation (OSCE and theoretical post-test).
This training would be sustained by periodic mentoring and supportive supervision sessions in Primary Health Centres by Public Health Physicians, Radiologists and Obstetricians.
The highpoint of this workshop was the handing over of twenty-three (23) 4-D scan machines, printers and Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) machines to the Nurses to provide Basic Obstetric Point-of-Care Ultrasound Scan services in the 23 LGAs of the State.
Ultimately, the Basic Obstetric Imaging skill acquired by the health workers will improve their competence in Ante-Natal Care and prompt management of high-risk pregnancies, which will translate to reduced maternal morbidity and mortality, reduced perinatal mortality, improved health outcomes and improved user satisfaction in Primary Health Centres across the State.  This will take the State multiple steps closer to attaining the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: "Good health and wellbeing" which addresses maternal mortality through its specific target and SDG 3.1, aiming to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.