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We condemn the rising cases of child and maternal deaths in the country and call on the nation’s health authorities to find measures to urgently address the problem. Available figures indicate that 2,300 children under the age of five and 145 women of childbearing age die in the country each day.
In its recent report on maternal and child deaths, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) revealed that inadequate and non-functional health facilities, shortage of critical human resources were responsible for the situation. It also stated that inadequate power or water supply, commodity stock-outs, equipment inadequacy and weak standards/quality, very low demand for critical services largely driven by loss of confidence in the system aggravated the situation.
Currently, there are about 30, 000 nonfunctional health facilities in the country. Nigeria has maternal mortality rate of 560/100,000 live births. This means that 33,000 women die each year. One in nine maternal deaths worldwide is a Nigerian. The country also accounts for 14 per cent of global maternal death burden.
Infant mortality rate is 75/1,000 live births, which is eight per cent of the global total, and an estimated 70 per cent of these deaths are preventable. Child mortality rate in the country is 117/1,000, which means one million deaths yearly and accounts for 10 per cent of the global total. One in every eight Nigerian children dies before their fifth birthday, and nearly 10 per cent of new-born deaths occur in Nigeria.
The statistics are, indeed, frightening. Unfortunately, the government has not mustered the political will to tackle the health challenges. For improved child and maternal health, government must do something to change the ugly narrative. There is need to put in place action- able framework to tackle the problem.
We recall that, last year, Bill Gates listed Nigeria as one of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth. He also tagged the country the fourth place with the worst maternal mortality rate, coming after Sierra Leone, Central African Republic and Chad. Sadly, the situation has not changed.
While we bemoan the alarming in- crease in child and maternal deaths in the country, we call on the government to prioritise health matters, especially child and maternal health. Let the Federal and State governments revamp the primary health care facilities in the country.
Ordinarily, primary healthcare facilities, including cottage hospitals and maternity centres catering exclusively to the needs of children and pregnant women, are the responsibilities of the local governments.
But with the financial stifling of the local government system by the state governments, most primary health facilities in the country, especially in the rural areas, have been grounded. And with growing poverty in the country, many rural dwellers cannot afford adequate healthcare services. That is why some of them patronise quacks.
It is good that the NPHCDA has instituted some programmes to address the situation, including the establishment of a National Coordination Centre (NCC) to provide oversights on activities of the Reproductive, Maternal, Neo- natal, Child and Adolescent Health in Nigeria (RMNCAH+N) at the primary health care (PHC) level.
The goal, according to the agency, is to reduce maternal and child deaths by 50 per cent by 2021 and ensure that no woman or child dies from preventable causes.
While we welcome such initiatives, it is imperative to point out that Nigeria does not lack good programmes. What it probably lacks is the political will to fully implement the programmes.
The Federal and State governments must ensure that primary healthcare facilities with free services for pregnant women and children are established in the rural areas across the country.
Let government ensure that the health facilities are adequately equipped with drugs and required manpower. Above all, the health of children and mothers must be given urgent attention.
