The Federal Government has revealed that nearly 57,000 mothers died in 2023 from pregnancy and childbirth complications. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, made the disclosure in a statement, yesterday, via his official X account to commemorate the National Safe Motherhood Day.
Pate, in the text, emphasised the importance of honouring the lives of mothers in the country by intensifying efforts to prevent maternal deaths.
The minister said this year’s Safe Motherhood Day calls to action, reaffirming dedication to end the loss of life due to maternal causes.
“This year’s National Safe Motherhood Day is more than a celebration; it’s a call to action. We remember the almost 57,000 women, who lost their lives to maternal causes in the last year and reaffirm our commitment to reducing these numbers to through improved primary care and community engagement.
“The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to putting the Nigerian people at the centre of all initiatives, ensuring that every policy and investment improves the well-being of our citizens. Central to this agenda is enhancing healthcare access and outcomes, particularly for mothers and newborns.”
EARLIER, FG, at an event, which commemorated National Safe Motherhood Day, the Federal Government unveiled a new Safe Motherhood Strategy to accelerate the reduction of maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality by ensuring that no woman dies from pregnancy and childbirth related conditions and that every newborn is protected and assisted to thrive into healthy childhood.
It also launched the guidelines for the management of Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in community and health facilities; Labour Care Guide, and Guidelines for Community Use of Misoprostol.
Under the new guidelines, government will adopt a sector wide approach through the Decentralised Facility Financing (DFF) package, targeting no fewer than seven million pregnant women, and six million new births yearly.
Speaking at the launch of the documents, yesterday, in Abuja, Pate, lamented that many lives are still lost to preventable complications during pregnancy and childbirth in the country.
He observed that one of the leading causes of maternal mortality is postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), accounting for a significant proportion of maternal deaths worldwide adding that mortality rate among newborns, often attributed to birth asphyxia and complications related to premature births are equally alarming.
Pate, who observed that it was possible to achieve safe motherhood in the country, pointed out that safe Motherhood is achieved when every pregnant woman receives all the pillars of Safe Motherhood, including full antenatal, skilled, and safe facility-based delivery, respectful maternity care, post-natal care integrated with family planning especially postpartum and post-abortion family planning.
