Concerned by the alarming rate of maternal and newborn mortality in Nigeria, the World Bank has advocated for an urgent and proactive action plan to reduce the increased precious loss of pregnant mothers in the labour room.

The global financial institution insisted that the current global burden of maternal death residing in Nigeria is unacceptable and must be addressed by the government and stakeholders to restore the pride and joy of motherhood in the country.

Nigeria’s levels of maternal and child mortality are among the highest in the world, accounting for 20 per cent of the global burden, despite several program interventions deployed by the federal government and huge budgetary allocations that have yielded little desired results.

A Senior Health Specialist at the World Bank, Dr. Bushrah Binta Alam, raised the concern at the opening of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) implementation workshop held in Kano.

Dr. Alam stresses the urgent need for the government to prioritise the health of Nigerian mothers as a national emergency and insisted that only concerted efforts from all stakeholders could reduce the mortality rate.

The Bangladeshi national referenced how her home country battled the ugly experiences of maternal and child mortality over the years and subsequently reduced the rate below average.

She insisted, “If Bangladesh could dissipate its burden, Nigeria has no excuse.”

Dr. Alam believed Nigeria has all it requires, including expertise, knowledge, and resources, to confront and win the battle against the mounting challenges, and reminded that no woman should die at the point of delivery.

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Similarly, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, through its special adviser on health, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar, said the alarming rate of maternal and child mortality in Nigeria is unacceptable.

Dr. Abubakar, concerned about the inability of previous interventions by the Federal government to elicit significant impact, was optimistic that the new MAMII programme would achieve its intended purpose.

The NGF urged stakeholders at the implementation workshop to draw lessons from the weaknesses of previous interventions while building on the unique strengths of the new project to mitigate the causes of mortality.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Mohammed Ali Pate, explained that the MAMII program designed by the Federal government was in response to President Bola Tinubu’s mandate to reduce maternal and child mortality significantly in Nigeria.

Pate, who was represented by Dr. Saidu Ahmed Dumurwa, pointed out that the integrated health program under the State Wide Approach will draw collaboration from the 36 states, 774 local governments, as well as the support of international donor agencies to find solutions to the inherent predicaments.

The National Coordinator of MAMII, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, said the first implementation workshop of the project, held in Kano, was deliberately intended because of the high burden of mortality in 18 local government areas.

He said the workshop, involving expanding stakeholders, is expected to drive the process of content specific that will address the challenges in Kano. The coordinator was optimistic that once the project succeeds in Kano, the implementation in other Northern states would not be difficult.

“The Federal government, international organizations, state, and local governments are here to find a common ground and approach to find solutions to maternal and child mortality. And the key action is that no mother should die in the process of birth.

“We are in Kano to design the implementation of MAMII, the process of state-specific content that will look at the drivers that will enable us to find solutions and reduce the rate. We shall be looking at issues around access to quality facilities, transportation for pregnant women, upgrading existing care centers, and building the capacity of experts,” Dr. Adeyanju added.

On his part, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Labaran Abubakar, regretted the increased rate in Kano but attributed the poor state to the total neglect of the sector by the immediate past administration in the state.

Dr. Abubakar narrated how the present administration inherited zero-dose immunisation services, which he said contributed to 80 per cent of diphtheria cases in Kano. He reiterated the commitment of the Kano State government to support all efforts of the Federal government through the MAMII programme to reduce the negative indices in Kano.