Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfPro8): Abstract 07 | Published: 01 Oct 2026
Adeniyi Olusegun Oyeyemi1,&, Muriana Olotu2, Ayodele Shola Alegbeleye3, Henrietta Adeniyi4, Adetola John Oyeyemi4, Timileyin Joshua Oluwadepo4
&Corresponding author: Olusegun Adeniyi Oyeyemi, Jhpiego, an Affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, Abuja, Nigeria, Email: oyeyemiadeniyi@gmail.com, Adeniyi.Oyeyemi@Jhpiego.org, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1801-110X
Received: 11 Mar 2026, Accepted: 29 Aug 2026, Published: 01 Oct 2026
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Quality improvement, primary health care; skilled birth attendance, health systems strengthening, facility-based deliveries, maternal and newborn health
©Olusegun Adeniyi Oyeyemi, et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Olusegun Adeniyi Oyeyemi, et al., From zero deliveries to improved maternal health service utilization: A quality improvement experience from Ekiti State, Nigeria. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro8):07. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO8-0007
Poor utilization of facility-based maternal health services remains a significant contributor to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. In 2025, Oke Osun Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State recorded prolonged periods without facility-based deliveries despite having skilled health workers. This study describes the impact of Quality Improvement (QI) interventions on maternal health service utilization.
A facility-based implementation study was conducted between January and December 2025 using the Model for Improvement. Following root-cause analysis, the facility QI team implemented change ideas including community mobilization, tracking of pregnant women, strengthening referral linkages, routine data review, supportive supervision, and mentorship of healthcare workers. Monthly service delivery data were extracted from facility registers and analyzed to compare performance before and after implementation.
Prior to the intervention, the facility recorded no deliveries for six consecutive months and an average monthly antenatal care (ANC) attendance of 38 clients. Six months after implementation of QI interventions, facility-based deliveries increased from 0 to 27 deliveries per quarter, while average monthly ANC attendance increased from 38 to 74 clients, representing a 94.7% increase. Postnatal care attendance increased from 21 to 49 clients per month. Referral completion improved from 62% to 89%. Community awareness activities and improved client follow-up contributed significantly to increased service uptake.
Quality Improvement interventions effectively restored utilization of maternal health services in a previously underutilized primary healthcare facility. Institutionalizing QI approaches within routine PHC systems can strengthen service delivery, increase skilled birth attendance, and contribute to improved maternal and newborn health outcomes in Nigeria. Scaling up similar interventions across low-performing facilities may accelerate progress toward achieving Universal Health Coverage and reducing preventable maternal and neonatal deaths.
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