Nigeria's Alarming Maternal Mortality Rate: What the Specialists Say

Nigeria's maternal and child mortality crisis continues to worsen, with healthcare experts warning that thousands of women are dying during childbirth due to inadequate care, late hospital arrivals, or harmful cultural beliefs, with the country ranking among those with the worst maternal health indices globally.

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At the 6th Maternal Health Summit organised by Safer Hands Health Initiative, stakeholders expressed concern that despite years of interventions, grants, and awareness campaigns, the situation remains dire, with Dr. Oluwakemisola Agoyi, Programme Manager at Safer Hands Health Initiative, describing the situation as "really sad" in an interview with Good Health Weekly.

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According to Agoyi, preventable deaths persist largely due to the lack of timely and appropriate care, with the bulk of maternal morbidity attributed to the type of care women receive or access, as well as delays in receiving care, stressing that providing appropriate care at the right time and place can mitigate these issues.

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Agoyi highlighted the shortage of healthcare professionals in Nigeria, necessitating a reliance on community-based attendants and nurses to bridge gaps in maternal care delivery, while also noting the growing role of technology and Artificial Intelligence, AI, in improving outcomes.

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Digital tools are now being used to track pregnancies, predict complications, and follow up with women who miss antenatal appointments, with Agoyi citing the use of text messages and digital imaging to detect complications early, and noting that some locally driven innovations presented at the summit showcased AI-powered biomarker extraction and antenatal monitoring systems.

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Dr. Habeeb Moshood, Executive Director of HCA Consults and Project Lead for the summit, told Good Health Weekly that expanding affordable health insurance coverage is a key solution to reducing maternal and child deaths, citing progress made by state governments such as Lagos, Delta, and Ogun in introducing health insurance schemes.

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Moshood noted that health insurance helps reduce out-of-pocket expenses and financial catastrophes, and urged stronger collaboration between government and the private sector in areas such as diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, hospital services, and maternal health research, stating that a thriving environment for the private sector can improve healthcare delivery.

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Moshood also blamed deep-rooted cultural beliefs and misinformation for discouraging women from seeking proper maternal care, citing the example of cesarean sections, which are often shunned due to cultural beliefs, but can be lifesaving for both mother and child.

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Dr. Orode Doherty, Managing Director of Ingress Health Partners, emphasized the need for communities to take responsibility in preventing maternal deaths by identifying local problems and creating emergency support systems for pregnant women, stating that communities can help reduce deadly delays by organising emergency transportation and supporting access to care.

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Doherty explained that when communities decide to solve the problem of maternal deaths, they can make a significant impact, and that it is essential to identify the causes of death and work to address them, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that no more pregnant women die.

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The summit brought together a range of stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, community leaders, and development partners, to discuss solutions aimed at reducing preventable maternal and child deaths in Nigeria, with a focus on finding effective and sustainable solutions to this critical issue.