Campaigns on Safe Motherhood by the Rivers State Ministry of Health and Compliance Among Post-Natal Women in Port Harcourt

The study investigated the health communication strategies adopted by the Rivers State Ministry of Health in promoting safe motherhood practices among post-natal women in Port Harcourt. Specifically, it examined four key areas: the communication channels utilized for campaign delivery, the level of awareness among post-natal women, the extent of compliance with recommended maternal health practices, and the challenges impeding effective implementation. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory and Perception Theory, the research adopted a mixed-method approach. A quantitative survey was combined with qualitative interviews to provide a holistic understanding of maternal health communication dynamics within the study area, the research had a quantitative population of 2,365 post-natal women who are registered for post-natal care every month at the primary health centres in Port Harcourt and a sample size of 342 for the survey which was selected using convenience sampling technique and the population for the qualitative aspect had 18 member staff working at the Safe Motherhood Unit and Media Unit at the Ministry which judgmental sampling technique was used to adopt 50% of the population for the in-depth interview and they were selected using snowball sampling technique while the data was analysed utilizing the weighted mean score (WMS). Results indicate that although traditional media and interpersonal communication channels are commonly employed, awareness among postnatal women remains low. Moreover, compliance with safe motherhood practices is found to be inconsistent. In addition, the study identifies cultural resistance, limited outreach capacity, and insufficient stakeholder engagement as major obstacles to successful campaign execution. Consequently, the study recommends a strategic shift toward digital and community-based communication platforms. It further advocates for the institutionalization of postnatal education, the promotion of behavioural modelling techniques, and the enhancement of stakeholder collaboration. These measures are expected to improve both campaign effectiveness and maternal health outcomes in Rivers State.