Maternal Mortality in Nigeria

By Aliyu Adamu Yusuf

Maternal mortality and morbidity continue to be a public health concern, particularly in developing countries with high maternal mortality rates. Nigeria is the second-highest contributor to maternal mortality globally. What are the most common causes of these maternal deaths in Nigeria?

In my perception, there are some factors that prevent women from receiving or seeking cure during pregnancy and childbirth, such as:

Health system failures that result in poor quality of care, including disrespect, mistreatment, and abuse, insufficient numbers of and inadequate training for health workers, shortage of essential medical supplies, and poor accountability of the health system.

Social determinants, including income, access to education, race, and ethnicity that put some sub-populations at greater risk.

Harmful gender norms and/or inequalities that result in a low prioritization of the rights of women and girls, including their right to safe, quality, and affordable sexual and reproductive health services.

External factors contributing to instability and health system fragility, such as climate and humanitarian crises.

To improve maternal health, barriers that limit access to quality maternal health services must be identified and addressed at both the health system and societal levels. The painful part is that all the causes of maternal mortality are preventable. All thanks to BHCPF for working towards reducing these rates in Nigeria by engaging midwives, as their roles are very necessary in ensuring women don't lose their lives during childbirth.

I appreciate the efforts made thus far to ensure that no woman dies while giving life, but more needs to be done because women, particularly in the communities, have continued to lose their lives while giving birth in Nigeria. This is a call to action for the Nigerian government at all levels to use policies to improve maternal and child care in their respective states.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria is in the fourth position globally. A woman in Nigeria has a 1 in 22 lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy and childbirth or postpartum/post-abortion. In most high-income countries, the lifetime risk is 1 in 4,900. The most recent numbers place the country at 917 deaths for every 100,000 live births, with many women not getting the care they need in time either due to the delay in seeking it out or in getting referred to the right specialist.

HOW CAN WOMEN'S LIVES BE SAVED?

To avoid maternal deaths, it is important to prevent unintended pregnancies. All women, including adolescents, need access to contraception and safe abortion services to the full extent of the law, quality post-abortion care.

Most maternal deaths are preventable, as the healthcare solutions to prevent or manage complications are well-known. All women need high-quality care in pregnancy and during and after childbirth. Maternal health and newborn health are closely linked. It is particularly important that all births are attended by skilled health professionals, as timely management and treatment can make the difference between life and death for women as well as for the newborn.

Aliyu Adamu Yusuf,

Mass Communication department, Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi.