Despite her commitments to improve maternal health, Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with an estimated 512 deaths per 100,000 lives.
This is due to a variety of issues, including limited healthcare access, insufficient infrastructure, and cultural and social norms that limit women’s autonomy and decision-making ability on reproductive choices.
Despite significant progress in our healthcare system, maternal fatalities remain at unacceptable levels, disproportionately affecting women from underprivileged origins, rural regions, and ethnic minorities.
The importance of a rights-based approach:
A rights-based approach to maternal mortality is founded on the recognition that maternal health is a fundamental human right. This is not just a theoretical construct; it is a moral and legal necessity with significant weight in the context of Nigeria’s maternal mortality issues. The following are some reasons why a rights-based approach is critical, especially in these times.
Protecting the right to life and dignity: Recent reports of maternal fatalities in Nigeria present a bleak picture of women dying during pregnancy, including unsafe abortions, or during childbirth from preventable causes. These tragedies are not only a failure of healthcare but also a violation of fundamental human rights recognised in international and regional human rights instruments and reflected in Nigeria’s Constitution. A rights-based approach highlights the sanctity of the right to life and dignity, requiring that every effort be made to avoid these preventable deaths.
Bridging gaps and inequality: Maternal mortality affects women from marginalised groups, rural areas, and ethnic minorities disproportionately in Nigeria. These gaps are not random; they are strongly based on systemic injustices that deny these women access to appropriate maternal healthcare. A rights-based approach highlights the imperatives of non-discrimination and equality, challenging us to remove the barriers that keep these imbalances in place.
Justice and accountability: The alarming surge in maternal mortality in Nigeria demands responsibility and reproductive justice. Families have lost loved ones, and communities have been devastated. The importance of accountability procedures and redress for maternal health rights violations is emphasised in a rights-based approach.
Fulfilling international obligations: Nigeria, as a signatory to international and regional human rights instruments, has committed to defending the maternal health rights of its citizens, particularly women. The rise in maternal deaths calls into question the country’s capacity to meet these obligations. A rights-based approach reminds us of our obligations and the need to align our policies and activities with international norms and standards.
Incorporating important norms and standards:
Nigeria has ratified critical international and regional human rights agreements, emphasising the importance of this approach. Some of the regional instruments are
The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of the Woman are two essential treaties that recognise the right to health and the right to non-discrimination. The Protocol states that women’s sexual and reproductive health must be respected and promoted.
Maternal mortality should be reduced by 75 percent by 2015, according to relevant resolutions on maternal mortality and sexual and reproductive health and rights, such as the Maputo Plan of Action. Although this aim has not been attained, it reflects Nigeria’s commitment to reducing maternal mortality. The Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women (Maputo Protocol) recognises women’s rights to control their reproductive health and obligates nations to protect women’s rights to life and health.
International Human Rights instruments
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) enshrines the right to life and dignity. Maternal mortality, because of inadequate maternal healthcare, constitutes a breach of these fundamental rights, necessitating government intervention to prevent avoidable deaths.
International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR): Nigeria’s ratification of the ICESCR obliges us to ensure the right to the highest attainable physical and mental health standard, encompassing maternal healthcare services.
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): CEDAW calls for the elimination of gender-based discrimination that perpetuates disparities in maternal mortality rates.
WEWIN highlights the following recommendations: –
Develop and implement a comprehensive maternal health policy framework that expressly recognises maternal health as a human right, with a focus on non-discrimination, access, and quality care for all women.
Invest in healthcare infrastructure, especially in marginalised areas, to guarantee equitable access to maternal health services and emergency obstetric care.
Encourage maternal health education and awareness initiatives to provide women with information about their rights and the importance of obtaining treatment during pregnancy and childbirth.
Establish comprehensive monitoring and accountability measures to ensure that maternal health services meet international standards and are delivered equitably.
Allocate enough resources to maternal health, reflecting the importance and urgency of this problem on our national agenda.
The recent surge in maternal mortality in Nigeria is not a statistic; it is a stark reality that demands immediate and tangible action. A rights-based approach, grounded in international and regional human rights instruments and Nigeria’s Constitution, is not a mere theoretical framework; it is the lens through which we view the present times, emphasising the importance of protecting women’s rights to life, dignity, and health.
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