Maternal and child health is a crucial area of public health that requires proper attention. Ensuring that mothers and their children receive the best care during pregnancy, childbirth, and infancy is essential.

In Nigeria, the healthcare system is struggling due to a lack of access to proper healthcare services. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Nigeria’s 40 million women of childbearing age (15 to 49 years) face disproportionately high health issues related to childbirth. While the country represents 2.4 per cent of the world’s population, it contributes 10 per cent of global maternal deaths.

Consultant Public Health Physician at Ikorodu General Hospital, Dr. Yetunde Odusolu, highlighted that maternal health is a significant concern in Nigeria, which ranks among the countries with the highest maternal mortality rates globally.

The medic noted: “The 2023 UN report on Trends in Maternal Mortality from 2000-2020 revealed that nearly 28.5 per cent of global maternal deaths occur in Nigeria.”

The report stated that a woman in Nigeria has a one in 19 lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum, compared to a one in 4,900 risks in the most developed countries.

She continued: “The country’s maternal mortality rate (MMR) was 512 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018, worsening to 800 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019. This increase is due to several factors, including hypertension, hemorrhage, sepsis, anemia, HIV, sickle cell disease, and unsafe abortions. Contributing to these challenges are delays in seeking, reaching, and receiving maternal healthcare.

“These delays are amplified by limited access to healthcare facilities, inadequate transportation infrastructure, and lack of awareness about the importance of prompt, expert maternity care. Other challenges include poor health infrastructure, a shortage of skilled health workers, and socio-cultural factors like early marriage, gender inequality, and poverty.

According to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the global target for maternal mortality is 70 deaths per 100,000 live births, but Nigeria’s rate is more than 10 times this target.”

To improve maternal health, Odusolu suggested several solutions, including ensuring that women have access to quality maternal healthcare services; allocation of adequate budgets to improve care delivery by skilled birth attendants, as well as, implementing programmes to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for maternal health.

She encouraged male involvement in maternal health to strengthen the Midwives Service Scheme (MSS) besides prioritising investments in healthcare research and infrastructure, especially in rural and underserved communities.

“Antenatal care plays a vital role in preventing complications and ensuring healthy pregnancies and births. Health promotion and education for pregnant women, encouraging regular antenatal visits should be paramount,” Odusolu advised.

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