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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Federal Government said on Tuesday that its Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative (MAMII) programme is currently operational in 32 states with significant impacts.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, on Tuesday, to mark this year’s Safe Motherhood Day with the theme, “Closing the Gap: From Coverage to Quality Care for Every Mother.”
He said that MAMII has strengthened service maternal service delivery, enhanced emergency obstetric and newborn care, and improved referral systems, while ensuring that no woman is left behind
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, the Minister said the theme of this year’s occasion remind Nigerians that access alone is not enough, and what truly save lives is the quality, timeliness, and equity of care provided to every woman, everywhere in Nigeria.
He noted that Nigeria has made measurable progress in expanding access to maternal health services. “However, we recognize that gaps remain particularly in ensuring that every pregnant woman receives respectful, evidence-based, and life-saving care when and where she needs it.
“Today, we reaffirm our commitment to closing these gaps. A key milestone in our national effort to improve maternal and newborn outcomes is the implementation of MAMII. I am pleased to note that MAMII has now been activated in 32 states across the federation, marking a significant scale-up of targeted, data-driven interventions to address the leading causes of maternal and neonatal deaths.
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“MAMII reflects our unwavering commitment to translating policy into action and accelerating progress towards safer motherhood for every Nigerian woman. The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is expanding financial access to Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) services, ensuring that cost is no longer a barrier to lifesaving care for mothers and newborns. This initiative is a critical step toward improving equitable access to quality emergency services across the country.”
He noted that since the programme was launched, more than 32,000 women and 1,700 newborns have benefitted from emergency obstetric and neonatal care respectively, and currently, over 250 health facilities are implementing the programme, with additional facilities at various stages of activation and readiness, further strengthening nationwide coverage and impact.
The Minister further noted that Nigeria’s emergency medical response under NEMSAS/RESMAT has also expanded significantly, thus strengthening access to timely lifesaving services, particularly for pregnant women.
He said the RESMAT services are currently operational in 136 out of the 172 MAMII LGAs, while Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) have been established across all 36 states and the FCT, with active operations ongoing in 20 states.
“But to support these efforts, a total of 612 ambulances have been deployed across 340 LGAs, improving referral systems and rapid response capacity nationwide. So far, the programme has facilitated the transportation of 78,962 beneficiaries, demonstrating its critical role in bridging access gaps to emergency care,” he said.
Permanent Secretary designate and Director Health Planning Research and Statistics, Dr. Kamil Shoretire who represented the Permanent Secretary, said that Nigeria is adopting targeted and data-driven approaches to reduce maternal deaths in high-burden areas. “NEMSAS is improving referral systems and ensuring timely transportation for obstetric emergencies.
“The efforts to expand health insurance coverage are reducing financial barriers and increasing access to skilled care, while the restructuring of the community health workforce is bringing essential services closer to the grassroots and strengthening the continuum of care,” he said.
