Maternal Mortality: Nigerian Women Doctors Raise Alarm Over 75,000 Annual Deaths, Demand Urgent Healthcare Reforms

Nigerian women doctors have called for urgent reforms in the country’s healthcare system to address the alarming rate of preventable maternal and child deaths, warning that approximately 75,000 women die annually from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications.

The call was made on Wednesday in Lagos at the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Lagos State Branch.

The keynote speaker, Professor Kikelomo Ololade Wright, urged female medical practitioners to move beyond their traditional clinical responsibilities and take active roles in healthcare policy formulation, leadership and strategic decision-making.

Speaking on the theme, “Women Physicians at the Forefront of Health Equity: Advancing Women, Children and Community Health,” Wright described Nigeria’s maternal mortality situation as a national emergency requiring decisive action from government, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders.

She cited United Nations figures indicating that approximately 75,000 Nigerian women died from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications in 2023, accounting for nearly three in every 10 maternal deaths recorded globally.

According to her, the statistics mean that one Nigerian woman dies every seven minutes from pregnancy-related complications.

Wright, a Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine at the Lagos State University College of Medicine, said Nigeria’s estimated maternal mortality ratio of 993 deaths per 100,000 live births was about five times the global average and significantly above the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 70 deaths per 100,000 live births.

She stressed that women physicians must participate in decision-making processes at hospital boards, health committees and other policy-making institutions.

“We deliver most of the care. We must also shape the decisions. It is non-negotiable,” she said.

The professor expressed concern that maternal deaths remained high despite the presence of some of Nigeria’s best medical facilities in Lagos State.

She said the situation raised serious questions about the capacity of primary healthcare centres to identify and manage obstetric emergencies, the availability of blood supplies, emergency referral systems and access to life-saving medical interventions.

Wright emphasised the need for functional referral arrangements connecting primary healthcare facilities with secondary and tertiary hospitals to ensure that pregnant women receive timely treatment.

She identified obstetric haemorrhage, pregnancy-related hypertension, sepsis, complications arising from unsafe abortions and ruptured uterus as some of the major causes of preventable maternal deaths.

She also raised concerns over Nigeria’s child health indicators, noting that under-five mortality declined marginally from 132 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 110 in 2024.

According to her, the figure remains significantly higher than the SDG target of 25 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Wright further disclosed that Nigeria had an estimated 2.2 million zero-dose children in 2025, the highest number globally, warning that millions of vulnerable children remained unreached by essential immunisation services.

She identified malnutrition, inadequate access to clean water, household air pollution, teenage pregnancies and insufficient youth-friendly healthcare services as other major challenges affecting vulnerable communities.

The professor noted that women in low-income communities, adolescent girls, young mothers, children under five and residents of riverine and peri-urban settlements suffered disproportionately from healthcare inequalities.

She explained that healthcare equity required more than providing identical services to everyone, stressing that interventions must address the different needs and challenges facing individuals and communities.

“Health is your right. It is not a privilege based on your postcode, or based on your purse, or based on your pocket,” she declared.

Wright urged members of MWAN to strengthen maternal and child healthcare interventions, support nutrition programmes, promote health insurance coverage and extend medical services to underserved communities.

She also called for increased government funding, adequate medical equipment, improved staffing levels and better remuneration for healthcare workers to address the growing migration of Nigerian doctors abroad.

On professional development, she encouraged female physicians to mentor younger colleagues and create opportunities for women to advance into leadership positions.

“When women physicians lead, women, children, and communities thrive,” she said.

Earlier, the President of MWAN, Lagos State Branch, Dr Ime Maria Edwin Okon, said the conference provided an opportunity for women doctors to renew their commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes for women, children and communities.

Okon noted that female physicians occupied an important position in healthcare delivery because they understood the challenges confronting families through both their professional experiences and personal responsibilities as mothers.

She advocated the increased use of artificial intelligence, telemedicine, digital health platforms and other technological innovations to improve healthcare delivery, particularly in Lagos State, where population growth continues to put pressure on available medical personnel.

The MWAN president also expressed concern over the continued migration of Nigerian medical professionals, popularly known as the Japa syndrome.

She urged the government to improve hospital infrastructure, provide modern medical equipment and strengthen the welfare of healthcare workers to encourage more doctors to remain in the country.

Okon warned that inadequate working conditions and poor welfare could further discourage medical professionals and push them to seek better opportunities abroad.

She also called for expanded health insurance coverage to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses, which she described as a major obstacle preventing women, particularly those in rural and underserved communities, from accessing timely healthcare services.

On women’s professional advancement, she encouraged female doctors to embrace technology, continuous learning and leadership opportunities.

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring your seats. You just have to be there to present,” she said.

Join us on our WhatsApp Platform @KOIKIMEDIA NEWS YOUR PAGE

koikimedia Bringing the World 🌎 Closer to Your Doorstep