The Nigerian government has started new measures to boost the use of maternal and newborn healthcare services. This is part of the effort to cut down on maternal and neonatal deaths in Nigeria.
The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, launched the measures on Monday at the State House in Abuja. This is part of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative, also known as MAMII.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said these measures aim to tackle the problems that stop women and newborns from getting timely and quality healthcare services.
In a statement from the Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako, the ministry said this initiative should encourage the "greater utilisation of available services."
Progress under initiative
At the launch, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, explained that MAMII was created under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. This is to improve both the supply and demand for maternal healthcare.
Mr Pate mentioned that the measures include improving primary healthcare facilities, training health workers, providing essential supplies, and making services more affordable.
"Pregnancy is not a disease," Mr Pate said, making it clear that no woman should lose her life during childbirth.
He shared that over 60,000 women have received free Caesarean sections and other emergency obstetric services through the National Health Insurance Authority. He also said that more than 120,000 frontline health workers have been retrained.
Additionally, he stated that many healthcare facilities have been improved, and over 6,000 women affected by obstetric fistula have received treatment and support.
The new measures under MAMII aim to encourage pregnant women to seek antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, and other vital services.
Reduction in maternal, neonatal deaths
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, pointed out that Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate is still "unacceptably high."
Mr Salako stated that the 2023/2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey shows that a Nigerian woman has about a one-in-19 lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes.
He added that Nigeria is responsible for almost 29 percent of global maternal deaths, highlighting the need for ongoing and focused efforts.
According to Mr Salako, MAMII was launched by the federal government in November 2024. It focuses on 172 local government areas across 33 states.
These areas make up about 20 percent of Nigeria’s local government areas but account for roughly 55 percent of maternal deaths. The initiative aims to cut maternal mortality by 30 percent and neonatal mortality by 20 percent in these areas by 2028. It also plans to provide free, timely, and complete care to about 2.9 million pregnant women.
Emergency care
Mr Salako shared that more than 250 health facilities are currently using MAMII in Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Ogun states.
He noted that over 32,000 women and 1,700 newborns have received emergency obstetric and neonatal care.
He added that the National Emergency Medical Treatment and Ambulance Service has moved nearly 79,000 people to appropriate care, with pregnant women making up about 60 percent of those transported.
According to him, antenatal attendance for fourth visits in MAMII local government areas rose by 20 percent in just one quarter. Mr Salako explained that the new measures are meant to encourage actions that save lives, especially early antenatal registration, facility-based delivery, and postnatal follow-up.
Calls for stronger collaboration
Mrs Tinubu said this initiative is another step toward ensuring that every Nigerian child has a healthy start. She emphasized that no woman should die while giving birth.
She stated that improving maternal and newborn health needs targeted efforts to address the issues women and families face during pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care.
The First Lady urged stronger teamwork among government agencies, healthcare providers, development partners, communities, and other stakeholders. This is to ensure the measures lead to real improvements in maternal and newborn survival.
She said the new measures under MAMII will support ongoing government efforts to improve access to quality maternal and newborn services. They will strengthen healthcare delivery and encourage more use of available services.
Mrs Tinubu also highlighted the need for reducing maternal and neonatal deaths as a national priority.
Mr Pate called on state governments and health commissioners to continue and expand the successes achieved under MAMII. He pointed out that states are closer to the communities and play an important role in improving health outcomes.
He also stressed the need for good maternal nutrition, including multiple micronutrient supplements. The minister linked this initiative to the Community Food Bank Initiative, stating that well-nourished mothers are vital for Nigeria's future development.
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