Men are the key decision-makers in the family and play a crucial role in partners’ reproductive health in Nigeria. Men’s involvement in reproductive, maternal newborn and child health is crucial, though their participation has been poorly demonstrated. This is due to several factors, which include culture, religion, ignorance, and socio-economic issues.
Men also play a key role through their involvement in health issues that could promote a better relationship between couples and enhance health-seeking behaviour. It has been observed that men’s involvement in RMNCH+NM is a promising strategy for reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, hence should be greatly encouraged.
Male involvement in MHC is a process of social and behavioural change that is needed for men to play more responsible roles to ensure women’s and children’s wellbeing. Indeed, the value of direct male involvement in reducing maternal mortality cannot be overestimated.
Referring to Millennium Development Goal 5 (MDG), an article in Frontlines, a monthly publication of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) noted that “Reducing maternal deaths by 75 per cent throughout the world by 2015 will take the involvement of men in countries where it matters most” making it of great relevance in every society.
Male involvement in MHC is low. Various socio-demographics (partner’s education, type of marriage, and the number of children) and enabling/disenabling (distance to the health facility, attitude of health workers, prohibitive cultural norms, unfavourable health policies and gender roles) factors are associated with male involvement in MHC.
There is, therefore, a need for urgent interventions to scale up the involvement of men in MHC utilisation. Public health interventions should focus on designing messages bearing in mind the variety of sociodemographic and enabling/disenabling factors. Specifically, improving access to formal education could help diffuse existing socio-cultural perceptions of men accompanying their partners to antenatal care, delivery, and postnatal care, while encouraging positive health care provider attitudes towards male involvement in MHC.
Samuel Julius is the Programme Officer, Centre for Social Justice, Abuja
