ABSTRACT

This study has assessed the role of men in maternal health care in Gwagwalada Area Counci� FCT; Abuja/ Nigeria. The study covered 30 villages and a total of 600 copies of the questionnaires were administered, but 571 copies were duly completed and returned. Relevant descriptive and inferential statistics such as Spearman 5 rank correlation were used to test the hypotheses. The result obtained revealed that education greatly influences men 5 involvement in maternal health care services. Secondly, the study also discovered that traditional and religious practices/beliefs inhibit mens participation in the maternal health care/ as such practices/beliefs make the handling of maternal health issues the domain of women. The study also revealed that distance from the reproductive health facili� the quality and cost of services rendered also affect the involvement of men in maternal health care. A community enlightenment programme is recommended to educate both men and women on the importance of gender equity and equality in all spheres of life/ most importantly in the participation in health care. Secondly, training programmes for health workers should be expanded in order to integrate the Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs)/ to train them in the conventional hygienic ways of delivery and handling of maternal health issues.