A call to action to address the maternal health crisis in Nigeria

In the tapestry of global health challenges, few issues evoke as much urgency as the crisis of maternal and newborn health in low-resource settings. Nowhere is this challenge more pronounced than in Nigeria, where the struggle for accessible, quality healthcare resonates across its diverse landscape. Against the backdrop of staggering population statistics, the need for concerted action and innovative solutions becomes ever more pressing.

Nigeria with a population of over 200 million, grapples with an ongoing maternal mortality crisis that stretches logic and conscience, despite being endowed with vast human and natural resources. The risk of perinatal death in Nigeria is also unacceptably high, with no significant change recorded in the last 20 years.1-4 Nigeria makes the second highest contribution of 12% of global maternal deaths, stillbirths and neonatal deaths, and is amongst the top 10 countries with the highest perinatal mortality globally.2 These figures do not only pose a serious challenge to the attainment of the first target of the third sustainable development goal: behind these stark figures lie the untold stories of countless families, whose hopes and dreams are shattered by the cruel realities of inadequate healthcare access. Their struggles underscore the urgent need for increased political will, application of evidence-based interventions, and comprehensive healthcare reform to achieve universal health coverage.

To address the poor quality of care and high perinatal mortality in Nigeria, the Maternal and Perinatal Database for Quality, Equity, and Dignity Programme (MPD-4-QED) was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health in 2019.5 The aim of the programme was to facilitate the largest, periodic analysis on the quality and outcomes of care provided to women and their newborns in Nigerian referral-level hospitals to inform policy and programmatic decisions at national, subnational and facility levels.