Female state commissioners for health, Lawmakers, and the Special adviser to President Tinubu on health say they will collectively do all it takes to find a lasting solution to reduce the high burden of maternal mortality by at least twenty percent in the country.
This and other issues formed discussions at a meeting to find ways of tackling health challenges in the country, especially those affecting women and children.
Nigeria’s 40 million women of childbearing age suffer disproportionately high levels of health issues surrounding birth.
It is estimated that Nigeria has approximately 58,000 maternal deaths, accounting for 19% globally. Put differently, at least 800 women die in every 100,000 live births.
Each year approximately 262,000 babies die at birth, the world’s second highest national total.
This high maternal and child mortality rate in Nigeria sticks out like a sore thumb and is one of the greatest challenges in the country’s health sector.
To address this, the special adviser to the president on health has organised this casual meeting to seek collaboration and support by doing more both nationally and sub nationally to find solutions to reducing the needless deaths of mothers and their babies.
They believe that an increase in funding, improving primary health care services, and building the capacity of health workers are measures that can help to reduce the trend by at least 20 percent.
This casual but bold approach seems to be the first step in directing focus towards finding solutions to the high maternal and child mortality rate in the country.
