A Joint report (Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015 by WHO, UNICEF, World Bank and United Nations Population Fund) estimates that Nigeria has approximately 58,000 maternal deaths, accounting for 19% globally; at least 800 women die in every 100,000 live births. Northeast has the highest maternal mortality rate, compared to other regions with 1,549 deaths per 100,000 live births.
According to WHO, Maternal mortality is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.
Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death and disability among women of reproductive age in developing countries, one of the biggest lapses amongst the health care providers is the inability to detect these complications in time.
The present state of reproductive, maternal and sexual health for women and girls is far from optimal, many still lack accesses to insufficient information, care and access to quality healthcare.
In addressing the defects that characterizes the maternal health system, there is need for improved funding in the health sector to enhance the quality of service provided.
According to WHO, Midwifery education is a key solution to the challenge of providing universal, quality maternal and new-born care to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, while improving access to care is critical, ensuring good quality of care has an even greater impact in terms of lives saved. Women and girls require a comprehensive package of sexual and reproductive health services (contraception, maternity care, diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS).
HACEY Health Initiative, under our Maternal health program, developed the End Malaria Initiative, to battle the scourge of malaria in pregnancy in Nigeria, which has reached over 1 million people in 1,200 households with information on ending Malaria, and the Project Agbebi, a community health project aimed at reducing the incidence of pregnancy related deaths and complications by providing education and support for traditional birth attendants, reaching over 2,000 TBAs in various communities both Lagos and Ogun state providing training workshops on the use of birthing kits and educating them on proper use and disposal.
The Maternal Health Event organized by HACEY Health Initiative and supported by Access Bank, conducted a Panel and Interactive session on Accelerating the Impact of Maternal Health Interventions in Nigeria.
To effectively reduce maternal mortality rates in Nigeria, it is crucial that the government works with stakeholders across different sectors to scale up investment in providing quality care; maternal health advocates, researchers and providers to provide comprehensive, respectful and rights-based maternal health care available to all.
