Curbing increasing maternal deaths

The Federal Government recently revealed that the country is responsible for 39 per cent of global maternal deaths. The government stated this when it unveiled an intervention initiative to tackle one of the nation’s most daunting health challenges. Under the bold health sector initiative, the government disclosed that it targeted 30 per cent reduction in maternal mortality and 20 per cent decline in newborn deaths by 2028.

It said that no fewer than 2.9 million pregnant women and families would benefit from the intervention, under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The government would roll out about 215,000 MAMA kits, 40,000 maternal food-support packs and 40,000 newborn clothing sets to vulnerable women and families nationwide as part of efforts to encourage antenatal attendance, safe delivery and postnatal care, especially in underserved communities across the country. There are also plans to extend the distribution of the kits to additional local government areas recording low uptake of MAMII services.

During the flag-off of the programme at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, stated that pregnancy and childbirth should be occasions of hope and joy, rather than a threat to the lives of Nigerian women. According to her, “this occasion represents a further step towards ensuring that every Nigerian child has a healthy start in life and that no woman loses her life while giving birth.”

She also disclosed that the 215,000 MAMA kits and bags constitute the second batch of intervention following the distribution of 110,000 kits in 2025. Mrs. Tinubu believed that the incentives would help poorer pregnant women attend antenatal clinics, prepare for delivery and remain connected to essential care after childbirth.

Similarly, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said at the event that the government would provide free emergency medical services, including emergency obstetric and neonatal care for vulnerable women and children.

We decry the rising maternal deaths in the country and laud the efforts of the federal government and the First Lady to curb the menace through the donation of needed MAMA kits, food-support packs and clothing for newborns in various communities. We also call for judicious distribution of the donated items to the vulnerable women and children in targeted communities.

It is also cheering that about 642,000 pregnant women had been moved to healthcare facilities within their communities, while over 85,000 women had been transported for emergency care. Also, more than 93,000 women had benefited from free life-saving medical procedures, with maternal deaths reportedly declining by 22 per cent in health facilities strengthened to provide the relevant services.

It is good that over 250 health facilities in Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano and Katsina states are implementing MAMII. In these states, over 42,000 women and 1,700 newborns have benefited directly from emergency obstetric and newborn care.

Although maternal mortality is a global problem, it occurs more in countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 260,000 women died from maternal causes globally in 2023, equating to roughly 700 deaths daily. However, regional disparity shows that 92 per cent of all maternal deaths occur in low-and lower-middle-income countries, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 70 per cent and Southern Asia for 17 per cent.

About 75 per cent of maternal deaths result from severe bleeding (hemorrhage), high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia/eclampsia), infections, and unsafe abortions. The global health agency and public health reports say that Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio is approximately 993 to1, 047 deaths per 100,000 live births. Nigeria accounts for roughly 28 per cent to 29 per cent of all global maternal deaths, totalling about 75,000 women annually.

Available statistics show that a 15-year-old girl in Nigeria faces a 1-in-25 lifetime risk of maternal death. Regional disparities show that northern states experience maternal maternity rates up to five times higher than southern states due to varying healthcare access, poverty and conflict. The major triggers of high maternal mortality in the country include weak health infrastructure, significant shortages of skilled doctors and midwives, high treatment costs and low government health spending (averaging under five per cent of the national budget).

Beyond the periodic interventions by the government, there is need to increase the national health budget to at least 15 per cent, which was agreed by African leaders in Abuja in 2001. Maternal deaths cannot be curbed when our annual health budget hovers between four and five per cent. We cannot reduce maternal mortality when most health centres are not functional. Let the government ensure that primary healthcare centres (PHCs) all over the country are working. This is the best way to ensure that no Nigerian woman loses her life while giving birth.