‘Nigeria lagging behind in achieving MDGs’

Addressing a press conference on the 2014  International Women Day celebration in Kaduna, Mrs. Adeyemi stated that the issue of maternal deaths can be avoided if the right actions are taken; stressing that it only requires the right political will.“Nigeria is ranked amongst countries where pregnancy is unsafe to carry. According to World Bank data, […]

Addressing a press conference on the 2014  International Women Day celebration in Kaduna, Mrs. Adeyemi stated that the issue of maternal deaths can be avoided if the right actions are taken; stressing that it only requires the right political will.
“Nigeria is ranked amongst countries where pregnancy is unsafe to carry. According to World Bank data, Nigeria ranks 9th worst in the world with 630 deaths per 100,000 from 10 years data collected from 1990-2010. April 2001, Nigeria hosted Heads of State of African Union countries in Abuja where they pledged to commit at least 15% of their annual budget to improve the health sector. Nigeria is far from achieving that goal,”
Nigeria’s budget in 2013 was 5.6%, this figure is 9.4% less than the recommended rate agreed upon during the Abuja Declaration hosted on Nigeria’s soil. The situation is not different in Kaduna State where the health sector is suffering, especially maternal health is receiving inadequate funding,” she lamented.
Speaking further, she said that the 2008 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) shows that many of the indicators assessing the strength of maternal and child health care in Kaduna are weak.
“For instance, only 18.4% of pregnant women deliver in a health care facility while 79.9% delivered at home. Also, 21.8% of live births are delivered by skilled providers while 54.5% did not receive any postnatal care. The laudable FMCH policy which was introduced in 2007 by the state government to address some of these issues is poorly funded,” she stated.
Another survey conducted in the state by the MCH-CS Partnership in August 2013 she said showed gross inadequate skilled personnel in the health sector and that FMCH drugs are not available in the health facilities in addition to dilapidated structures of the Primary Health Care Centres.
The group therefore stressed the need for the State to prioritize the passing of legislation on the Free Maternal and Child Health in order to establish formal mechanisms between the different health system actors.
It further called for a review of the recommendations described in the Kaduna State Policy on FMCH Services in order to assess areas that needs improvement.