The department of family health of the ministry of health has reported that presently in Nigeria 512 women died for every 100,000 births, accounting for one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. This report was delivered by Dr. Salma Anas-Kolo, Director of the Department of Family Health, at the Ministerial Health Sector Engagement.
According to her, the situation of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent, Elder Health (RMNCAEH+N) was one that called for concern and the help of government as well as private bodies to achieve a favourable result by 2030. She also said that for every 1,000 newborn 39 were bound to die and by 2030 the department hoped to halve this number to 15 newborn deaths for every 1,000 and 144 maternal deaths for every 100,000 births.
Some of the problems Anas-Kolo highlighted which was impeding the department’s progress was poor funding, governance and leadership skills, inadequate human resources. There was also the added challenge of COVID-19 and the gaps it created in the primary health care sector. For now, the department had been able to source for increased funding and use improved tracking mechanisms as well as expand the service delivery points.
