Nigeria Records 62,000 Maternal Deaths Annually – Researchers

The Maternal and Reproductive Health Research Collective (MRHRC) has disclosed that approximately 62,000 Nigerian women die from pregnancy-related complications, which is the highest maternal mortality rate globally.

This is even as the body planned to launch a month-long campaign starting in Lagos called the ‘#WeMenForHer Movement,’ aimed to raise awareness and seek solutions to Nigeria’s growing maternal health crisis.

The Founder of MRHRC, Prof Abosede Afolabi, during a virtual press conference held in Lagos, attributed the high rate of maternal mortality rates across the nation, to limited access to quality healthcare services, especially in rural areas; cultural influences that sometimes lead pregnant women to reject skilled medical care and poverty as a significant barrier to accessing antenatal care, with approximately 70 per cent of Nigerians living below the poverty line.

“The movement’s primary objective is to promote the MamaBase project, an innovative intervention aimed at safeguarding and empowering expectant mothers throughout their maternal journey. As part of this initiative, a dedicated team of community health workers will be deployed to provide continuous support to pregnant women within their communities, ensuring they receive essential antenatal care and access skilled healthcare providers during childbirth.

“The scale of this endeavour is nothing with plans to enroll an initial 5,000 women into the MamaBase Intervention. Remarkably, 250 expectant mothers have already found solace in this programme, and some have celebrated safe deliveries. The #WeMenForHer campaign sets its sights on a monumental goal, raising N100 million with each woman benefiting from a dedicated allocation of N20,000 for comprehensive maternal care,” she further disclosed.

Afolabi however affirmed that the WeMenForHer campaign stands as a testament to the power of unity in the quest for improved maternal health, transcending gender boundaries to pave for a healthier future for Nigerian mothers.

 In the same vein, a representative of MRHRC, Dr Mobolanle Balogun, disclosed that the burden of maternal health in Nigeria is huge, adding that, “Unfortunately, the number of maternal deaths is abysmal. According to statistics, Nigeria accounts for 30 per cent of maternal deaths globally, and the world could not ignore such a damning challenge.”