World Health Day: WHO tasks FG, others on urgent actions against high maternal, child deaths

The World Health Organization (WHO) has enjoined the federal government and other stakeholders to work collaboratively towards reducing the high maternal, neonatal mortality deaths in Nigeria. WHO  Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Molumbo made the call Monday in Abuja during the ‘Walk the Talk’ awareness exercise organised by the organisation in collaboration with […]

The World Health Organization (WHO) has enjoined the federal government and other stakeholders to work collaboratively towards reducing the high maternal, neonatal mortality deaths in Nigeria.

WHO  Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Molumbo made the call Monday in Abuja during the ‘Walk the Talk’ awareness exercise organised by the organisation in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

He said, “We know from the  Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey ( NDHS) that numbers in terms of maternal and neonatal mortality ratio are quite high. And this is why WHO has been working round the clock with the government and partners to accelerate reduction in maternal and neonatal mortality.”

He said this had been enshrined in the new MAMII initiative launched by the Federal Ministry of Health and  Social Welfare.

He said that the WHO continued to work alongside the government to improve guidelines, strategies and work alongside health care workers to make sure that those improvements actually materialised.

The Director of Planning, Research and Statistics,  Dr Kamil Shoretire said Nigeria still faces significant healthcare challenges, including a high maternal mortality rate.

He added that the government is working hard to address healthcare challenges and achieve the goal of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality.

He said the government has increased budgetary allocations for healthcare over the past three years and is working to improve primary healthcare through local government autonomy.

Meanwhile, the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has urged all tiers of government in Nigeria to declare a state of emergency in the health sector as the world commemorates the World Health Day 2025.

Executive Director of CHRICED, Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, made the call on Monday in a statement, where he also said that this urgent measure is necessary to revive the nation’s ailing healthcare system and fulfill the constitutional mandate of protecting the well-being and human rights for all citizens.

“CHRICED observes with deep concern the slow and insufficient progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria. Currently, less than 5% of Nigerians are enrolled under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), while over 70% continue to pay out-of-pocket for healthcare, an unsustainable and unjust burden for the average Nigerian.

“This is particularly troubling given that in 2022, former President Muhammadu Buhari signed the National Health Insurance Authority Act into law, with Section 14 making health insurance mandatory for all residents.

“CHRICED had anticipated this law would trigger a renewed push to expand health coverage nationwide. However, the lack of enforcement and implementation has led to tragic consequences, such as the recent death of a pregnant woman whose family could not afford the N500,000 needed for her delivery,” Zikirullahi said.

He said that these painful stories are not isolated, as countless Nigerians continue to lose their lives or the lives of loved ones due to the prohibitive cost of healthcare and a health system that is increasingly unaffordable, especially for vulnerable groups.

He noted that despite the provision for a Vulnerable Group Fund under Section 25 of the NHIA Act, groups such as the elderly, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women still lack access to free or subsidized healthcare.

While noting that the prevailing economic hardship in the country underscores the urgency for government to subsidize healthcare for vulnerable citizens, he also expressed concern with the non-implementation of the Free Maternal and Child Healthcare Law (2023) in Kano State.

“Though the law was enacted to ensure funding between the state and local governments for free healthcare services for women and children, implementation has stalled, with preventable deaths continuing among pregnant women and young children.

“The failure to implement critical health laws and policies continues to worsen maternal and child health indicators in Nigeria. At the national level, maternal mortality stands at 576 deaths per 100,000 live births, making Nigeria one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality rates globally, according to United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

“This poor health outcome is exacerbated by the ongoing brain drain of medical professionals, leaving the country with an ever-declining number of skilled birth attendants and trained personnel,” Zikirullahi said.

He, therefore among others, urged the federal and state governments to begin transparent and accountable subsidization of healthcare for the most at-risk populations, in accordance with the NHIA Act (2022).