Nigeria has become the world's most dangerous country in which to give birth, following the alarming maternal mortality.
According to BBC, the most recent United N0ations estimates for Nigeria, compiled from 2023 data, show one in every 100 women dies in labour or after birth, making it the country with the highest rate of such deaths.
One death every seven minutes
As per the recent UN data, Nigeria in 2023 accounted for 29% of the global maternal deaths, with an estimated total of 75,000 women dying in childbirth annually, which means one death every seven minutes.
Reasons behind 'very high' maternal mortality
The most frustrating and saddest part is that most of these are preventable. The most common causes of maternal deaths in Nigeria are obstructed labour, postpartum haemorrhage, high blood pressure and unsafe abortions.
As per Martin Dohlsten from the UN's children's organisation, Unicef's office, in Nigeria, there are multiple reasons behind “very high” maternal mortality in the country, such as poor health infrastructure, costly treatments, shortage of medics, cultural practices and insecurity.
Mabel Onwuemena, national co-ordinator of the Women of Purpose Development Foundation, said, “No woman deserves to die while birthing a child.”
She revealed that women, especially in rural areas, believe "that visiting hospitals is a total waste of time" and choose "traditional remedies instead of seeking medical help, which can delay life-saving care."
Onwuemena added that reaching a hospital or the nearest clinic is also a task due to lack of transport, and if someone manages to do so, they face another pile of issues in the hospital, as “many healthcare facilities lack the basic equipment, supplies and trained personnel, making it difficult to provide a quality service."
Notably, Nigeria’s federal government is currently spending 5% of its budget on health despite agreeing to a 15% target in the 2001 African Union treaty.
