A Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, Lagos, Dr. Odofin James Taiye, has called for concerted efforts to tackle maternal deaths across Nigeria, warning that hundreds of women still lose their lives daily to preventable causes linked to pregnancy and childbirth.

Speaking at the launch of the Dr. Ufadime Seyi-Akinnubi Foundation in Lagos, Odofin said the time has come for Nigeria to transform compassion into concrete action by building safer pathways for mothers through awareness, education, improved healthcare systems, and community support.

He lamented that maternal mortality remains alarmingly high, with about 700 women dying globally every day, more than 80 per cent of them in low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria.

He said, “Every woman lost is one too many. It is not acceptable that while trying to give life, a woman loses her own life.”

The gynaecologist, who spoke on the theme “Compassion to Change: Building Safer Paths for Mothers,” said behind every maternal death lies a story, a face, and a dream cut short.

Drawing lessons from the death of Dr. Ufadime Seyi-Akinnubi, a brilliant dentist who died suddenly of pulmonary embolism during pregnancy, he described the new foundation as “a bridge between pain and purpose,” dedicated to saving lives through education, advocacy and care.

Odofin identified pulmonary embolism, blood clots that travel to the lungs, as a leading yet often missed cause of maternal deaths, alongside severe bleeding, infection, preeclampsia, and unsafe abortion.

He emphasised that simple measures, such as early detection, antenatal care, thrombosis prevention campaigns, and hydration, could save countless lives.

He outlined four pillars for safer motherhood: early access and awareness, strengthened healthcare systems, partnerships and accountability, and hospital-based emergency preparedness.

“We must train and retrain our health workers, promote birth preparedness, and ensure that every hospital is equipped to manage emergencies,” he added.

Describing Ufadime as “a healer whose empathy and generosity will continue through each life saved,” he urged Nigerians to join the movement for safe motherhood. “We cannot bring her back, but we can give meaning to her memory. Every safe delivery, every surviving mother, every bright smile will be a living testimony that her story changed lives,” he said.

Her husband, Seyi Akinnubi, said the launch was more than an event; it was a celebration of life and legacy.

Akinnubi described his late wife as prayerful, supportive and deeply compassionate. “Losing her is the hardest thing I have ever faced, but seeing this room filled with love and belief in her legacy reminds me that her work is not over yet.

“Through the foundation, we will continue what she started, helping mothers stay safe, helping children smile brighter, and keeping her light alive,” he explained.

Also speaking, Sister to the late Ufadime and Secretary of the Foundation, Ame Okwudi, said the initiative was born out of grief and a sense of purpose.

“No woman should die bringing forth life, and no family should go through the pain we did,” she said, explaining that the foundation’s vision, ‘Safe Mothers, Bright Smiles,’ reflects her sister’s two passions, which are maternal health and dentistry.

According to her, the foundation will run two major programmes: Safe Mothers, which focuses on raising awareness about pulmonary embolism and other silent maternal risks, and Bright Smiles, which will provide free dental care to schools, rural communities and maternal centres.

The foundation also plans to introduce the Dr. Ufadime Excellence Award to honour young women in healthcare who embody compassion and service.

Okwudi emphasised, “Ufadime means ‘good things have come to me,’ and she shared that goodness with everyone she met. This is not a memorial, it’s a continuation. Her heart will keep beating in every mother saved, every child’s laughter, every bright smile that lights up a room.”