The Federal Government has expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s high maternal and child mortality rates and pledged to address the issue through innovative and result-oriented actions.
Last year, Nigeria recorded the second-highest number of maternal deaths globally, highlighting a significant gap between current health outcomes and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target of less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births.
At the 2024 Maternal Health Policy Dialogue themed “Scaling Maternal Health Innovations in Nigeria,” organized by Nigeria Health Watch in Abuja, Dr. Salma Anas, Special Adviser to the President on Health, emphasized the urgency of the situation. “Child and maternal mortality remain a serious concern in Nigeria,” Anas stated, adding that the current administration’s commitment and transparency will help reverse the trend.
Anas underscored the need for aggressive action and the deployment of innovations in digital health, telehealth, and evidence-based approaches to combat the high rates of child and maternal mortality. The government is dedicated to ensuring equity in services, financial protection, and a safety net for women and vulnerable children in Nigeria.
She acknowledged previous investments in the health sector but noted a key challenge: the lack of continuity in some programs. Anas stressed the importance of primary healthcare centres, which are the closest to most Nigerians, in providing quality healthcare services and maintaining an adequate number of health professionals to deliver effective and efficient services.
“President Bola Tinubu is committed to driving community-centric health solutions as a cornerstone of national development,” Anas said, highlighting the strategic importance of healthcare in advancing societal progress and ensuring holistic development.
Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, emphasized that maternal health is a fundamental aspect of public health, reflecting the well-being of current and future generations. “The degree of care and attention a country devotes to maternal health demonstrates how much it values its people,” she noted, calling for innovative solutions to reduce Nigeria’s alarming maternal mortality ratio, which was about 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. She also cited a World Health Organization report stating that Africa accounts for more than two-thirds of global maternal deaths.
Professor Hadiza Galadanci, a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and Director of Africa Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy, Bayero University Kano, presented sobering statistics. In 2020, an estimated 287,000 women globally died from maternal causes, with about 800 maternal deaths occurring daily. Hemorrhage, accounting for over 25% of maternal mortality, remains a significant challenge. Galadanci highlighted that out of 140 million women giving birth annually, 6-10% experience Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH), the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. She stressed that early detection and treatment of PPH using the WHO MOTIVE “First Response” Bundle is crucial to reducing the thousands of deaths from excessive bleeding.
