Nigeria is battling a maternal health emergency, with thousands of pregnant women dying every year from largely preventable causes. Tonight we bring you the latest data on maternal mortality, where progress has been made, and what the government is doing to save mothers’ lives.
Nigeria is facing a severe maternal health crisis, accounting for over one-quarter (29%) of all global maternal deaths, with approximately 75,000 women dying annually, nearly one death every seven minutes. With a ratio of 1,047 per 100,000 live births, factors like hemorrhage, hypertension, and poor access to care in rural areas contribute to this high, largely preventable death toll.
Most people ignore antenatal care; those are risk factors of maternal mortality. Some people indulge in drugs, which can also lead to maternal mortality and negligence…a woman of childbearing age ought to be taking folic acid for instance, but you find out women are giving birth to children coming with disabilities, or dying with children without even taking common folic acid you can get from a chemist…some men don’t allow their wives to go for antenatal care, there are also some religions that don’t allow other doctors, and personnel to touch their wives because they are of the opposite sex.
MIKE OGENYI, Medical Doctor
Efforts are underway to scale programme coverage to more states and improve data tracking critical for planning and accountability in maternal health. Federal health authorities report a 17 % drop in maternal deaths in the 172 most affected local governments, a sign that targeted interventions may be working.
There are men that believe even if they have one wife, while she is gone, they can always get another, so it just puts us in a place of lack of emotional connection, lack of empathy to the situation…We need to talk more about it, we need to share our stories with each other, then as activists, as advocates, as media people we need to push the narrative out there…to get that traction and then for something to be done.
YIL FOMWUL-GONSUM, Gender Rights Activist
Nigeria’s maternal mortality situation remains one of the most urgent public health challenges globally, but recent data show measurable improvements in targeted areas, and government commitments are being reinforced with new initiatives and stronger partnerships.
