MATERNAL MORTALITY IN NIGERIA,

A considerable amount of literature has been published on maternal mortality. Studies show that more than 50% of all maternal deaths were observed in six countries in 2008 (India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Women in Nigeria face some of the highest maternal mortality risks in the world.A total of 50,000 women die from preventable pregnancy related condition every year in Nigeria.

       840 per 100,000 live births (50,000 per year)

Maternal mortality ratio Nigeria , 2008 

Recently, Erim, D. et al,  Carried out a survey as a rapid and tactical assessment of the quality and availability of health care facility in Nigeria. 121 healthcare facilities were visited , and over 700 women seeking care at these facilities were interviewed.

Result from the study suggests that 

1. Most primary healthcare facilities in Nigeria are unable to adequately provide basic Emergency Obstetric Care services or meet an increasing demand for obstetric care 
2. lack of clinical staff needed to dispense maternal and neonatal care services
3. Lack of ambulances and uninterrupted electricity supply whenever there were obstetric emergencies 
4. service provision still remains low over time

Effective individual intervention to reduce pregnancy-related mortality 

• Increasing family planning which was the most cost saving in the South-West zone and cost-effective 
• increased skilled deliveries,  
• facility births, 
• access to antenatal/post-partum care in both rural and urban settings, 
• improved recognition of referral need, 
• transport, and availability and quality of EmOC and 

One question that needs to be asked, is what steps have the government taken to implement strategies and interventions to curb this growing public health burden. Taken together, these results suggest that Factors associated with the aforementioned problems include, poor socio-economic development, weak health care system and low socio-cultural barriers to care utilization among others.

I have high hopes that the newly signed National Health Bill would correct these inequalities. The bill provides a framework for the regulation and provision of national health services, defines the rights of health workers and users, and stipulates guidelines for the formulation of a national health policy. The key problem with this explanation is that The controversial bill, which promises to provide all Nigerians with a basic minimum package of health services, was originally proposed in 2004 and passed in May, 2009, before being withdrawn for bureaucratic reasons. It has effectively lain untouched since. The Nigerian Medical Association estimates that 7 million children and 385 000 mothers have died in the interim.

Nevertheless, it is advisable that continuous surveillance should be   carried out to investigate the prevalence and incidence of maternal mortality in the specific population. Accurate and annual notification on the prevalence and incidence should also be carried out. Attributes such as age, gender and geographic location should be implemented when measuring the prevalence. The lack of accurate and recent population based prevalence and incidence data on maternal mortality has significantly hindered the progress in risk management and harm reductions in Nigeria. Much work needs to be done in addressing this challenging epidemic in a coordinated and effective manner. Findings from the published articles on prevalence and incidence rate were consistent with hospital report. Despite the doubt in reliability, the need to enhance hospital surveillance is crucial to future risk management and knowledge on the burden of maternal mortality. Prospective studies should endeavour to use appropriate and accurate diagnostic tools.