By Asma’u Ahmad
The Nigeria’s Federal Government has inaugurated a task force on accelerated reduction of maternal mortality in the country.
Speaking while inaugurating the task force in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said that it has three months to ensure a road map on reduction of maternal mortality in the country.
Prof. Isaac Adewole
The minister said that the high Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the country was unacceptable and had become imperative to address the challenge as soon as possible.
He said that safe motherhood was a basic right for every pregnant woman. “It is noteworthy that a woman is a primary caregiver, nation builder and contributes significantly to the economic and social development of our great country. Safe motherhood, therefore, is critical to national development and no woman should die while giving life,”
Adewole said.
He added Nigeria has the highest MMR far above the global rate, adding that the country had not done well in the health in the last 30 years. ”North-East is the worst in MMR followed by North-West and we are starting with six state; with time the programme will be extended to other states,” Adewole said.
The minister described maternal mortality was the death of a woman in pregnancy or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of duration and site of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy.
He listed the top causes of MMR to include; haemorrhage, infection, eclampsia, unsafe abortion, obstructed and indirect complication.
Also, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs Binta Adamu-Bello, said that the ministry, in collaboration with partners, had been working assiduously to promote the health of Nigerian mothers through various strategies and interventions.
Mrs Amina-Bello said that the nation was intensifying efforts toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets by starting with states that had the worst records of maternal deaths.
