Expert Rues Nigeria’s 14% Global Maternal Deaths

Share
  • 1.25m women experience forced abortion annually

Bauchi Health Commissioner, Dr Aliyu Maigoro (R) with Dr Kabo of IHP, Bauchi office at the one day training

BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – Statistics by National Hospital Discharge Survey ( NHDS) for year 2013 which is still in use now indicates that Nigeria accounts for about 14 per cent of the global burden of maternal deaths.

This is as available data also show that over 1.25 million women of child birth age are exposed to forced abortion every year.

Also captured by the NHDS information is the fact that 40 per cent of these women do experience serious complications that require treatment and professional medical attention in order to save their lives.

These statistics were contained in a presentation by Dr Ibrahim Kabo, the Technical Expert with Integrated Health Program (IHP) Bauchi office during a one day training for journalists, under the aegis of Bauchi Public Health Media Network.

Kabo said based on the 2006 census projected population of 183 million, the Maternal mortality ratio is 576 per 100,000 live births as contained in the 2013 NDHS with Infant Mortality Rate of 69 per 1000.

Also the 2013 NDHS statistics put Under-5 Mortality Rate at 128 per 1000; Neonatal Mortality Rate stands at 37 per 1000; while the Total Fertility Rate is 5.5 children per woman.

According to him, the NDHS report further reveals that Contraceptive Prevalence Rate for Modern Methods is 9.8 per cent while Under-5 children sleeping under ITN is 28 per cent and Pregnant women sleeping under ITN remains 18 per cent

He explained that the statistics recorded are affected by level of education, residence and wealth index quintile of the country, saying based on that, the country has a long way to go in getting out of the present situation.

The IHP official said though Nigeria has made very bold efforts to achieve rapid economic development in the last four decades, “rapid population growth, among other factors, has adversely affected the quality of life and made achievement of socio-economic development goals difficult” .

In her intervention, the Focal Person, Bauchi Public Health Media Network, Elizabeth Kah of the Bauchi State Television said the training was organized to equip journalists with accurate data that would enable them write comprehensive reports about CBS issues.

She also assured that the Network is ready to collaborate with development partners on public health related issues, particularly those focusing on child birth spacing information.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply