Nigeria holds the unfortunate distinction of being the world’s most dangerous country for childbirth, with a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 993 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to 2023 UN estimates. This staggering figure means one in 100 women dies during labor or shortly after, accounting for 29% of global maternal deaths—approximately 75,000 women annually, or one death every seven minutes. The crisis stems from systemic healthcare challenges, including a severe shortage of medical professionals, inadequate facilities, and widespread preventable complications like postpartum hemorrhage.
The human toll is heartbreaking. Take Nafisa Salahu, a 24-year-old from Kano state, who endured a three-day labor during a doctors’ strike. With no expert help available, her baby’s head became stuck, and she nearly died before a cesarean was performed. Tragically, her baby did not survive. Stories like hers are all too common in Nigeria, where many women, like Jamila Ishaq, avoid hospitals due to distrust in public facilities plagued by negligence and understaffing. Ishaq, now expecting her fifth child, was forced to give birth at home after finding no healthcare workers available during a complicated labor.
Nigeria’s healthcare system is critically under-resourced. The country needs an estimated 700,000 more nurses and midwives to meet World Health Organization standards, and less than half of births are attended by skilled professionals. Rural areas, where access to care is limited, are particularly hard-hit. Women like Chinwendu Obiejesi, who can afford private clinics, have better outcomes, but high costs make this option inaccessible for most. Preventable conditions, such as bleeding after childbirth, claim countless lives due to delays in treatment or lack of blood supplies, as seen in the case of Chinenye Nweze, who bled to death in a hospital in Onitsha.
Despite the dire situation, efforts are underway to address the crisis. In November 2024, Nigeria launched the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (Mamii), targeting 172 high-risk areas to improve maternal care through better tracking and support for pregnant women. Dr. Nana Sandah-Abubakar of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency acknowledges the challenges but sees hope in these interventions. However, systemic issues—poverty, inadequate infrastructure, and cultural barriers—continue to hinder progress.
The contrast with safer countries like Finland, where maternal mortality is near zero and midwives are integral to care, underscores Nigeria’s challenges. Until Nigeria bridges its healthcare gaps, it will remain a perilous place for mothers-to-be, leaving countless families to bear the grief of preventable losses.
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