At least 2,445 women and children die every day from preventable causes in Nigeria, according to data from the Federal Ministry of Health on the National Maternal and Child Health.
The data obtained by our correspondent revealed that 70 per cent of the deaths are preventable.
According to the data, “145 women die every day due to preventable pregnancy-related causes in Nigeria.
“2,300 children under five years of age die every day from preventable causes in Nigeria.
“As much as 70 per cent of the causes of these deaths are preventable.”
Going by this figure, about 892,425 women and children under the age of five die every year from preventable causes in Nigeria.
Commenting on the data, President, Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, Dr Habib Sadauki, told our correspondent that there was a need for increased awareness in the communities to reduce maternal deaths in the country.
He said, “The health-seeking behaviour of our mothers needs to be changed. Also, we need fully-equipped and fully-staffed health facilities with appropriate technology.
“There should be consumables available and affordable to manage complications during delivery.”
Speaking at the Northern Traditional Leaders’ Committee on Primary Health Care Development Delivery Review Meeting in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said that Nigeria had not fared well in maternal and child health care.
He said, “The poor health indices for which Nigeria has not fared comfortably are the maternal and child mortality and morbidity, they are not very good, but these are generated largely in the rural areas where there is no access to any form of health care, and we need to do more to get the incoming administration not to deviate and philanthropists to continue to invest in primary health care.
“We have promises of funding from the Global Fund to support primary health care development.”
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