A woman giving birth in Kebbi State is now less likely to bleed to death without anyone noticing.

The wife of the Kebbi governor, Zainab Nasir Idris, has donated 600 calibrated drapes to nine maternal and child healthcare facilities across the state. The drapes are designed to detect postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) — heavy bleeding after childbirth that's one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in Nigeria.

The donation came through Idris's NGO, Nasara Foundation, and was presented on Thursday at the Maternal and Child Healthcare Centre in Birnin Kebbi. The foundation's coordinator, Abdulrasheed Bala, said the items would be given free of charge to women during delivery at the beneficiary facilities.

"The donation reflects the foundation’s commitment to supporting vulnerable groups, particularly women and children," Bala said.

He urged pregnant women to attend antenatal care regularly and called on healthcare workers to ensure the drapes aren't sold to patients.

A calibrated drape looks like a plastic sheet placed under a woman during delivery. It has markings that show exactly how much blood she has lost. That matters because PPH can kill within hours if bleeding isn't caught early. In many Nigerian hospitals, blood loss is estimated by eye — and that estimate is often wrong.

How the drapes work

The drapes allow health workers to measure blood loss accurately during childbirth. If a woman loses more than 500 millilitres of blood after a normal delivery — or 1,000ml after a caesarean section — she needs immediate intervention. The calibrated drape makes that call obvious, not guessed.

During the event, a demonstration showed how to use the drapes during delivery. This practice is expected to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce complications from postpartum bleeding.

Who benefits

Nine maternal and child healthcare facilities across Kebbi received the drapes. Hauwa'u Adamu, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiary facilities, described the donation as timely and highly beneficial. She said it would help healthcare workers do their jobs more effectively and contribute to reducing maternal and infant deaths in the state.

Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. According to the World Health Organization, the country accounts for about 20% of global maternal deaths. PPH is responsible for a significant share of those deaths, especially in rural areas where access to emergency care is limited.

Nasara Foundation's track record

Nasara Foundation has been running health and welfare programmes in Kebbi since Idris became first lady in 2023. The foundation focuses on women and children, providing free medical outreach, food distribution, and now calibrated drapes. Bala said the foundation has continued to implement various initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions of less privileged people across the state.

The donation isn't the first health intervention by the foundation, but it's one of the most targeted. Instead of general supplies, these drapes address a specific killer — and give health workers a simple tool to fight it.